The Brag #459

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A-LIST ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

AKMaL BRAND NEW SHOW

A-LIST ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

“No one wanted the show to stop... he seemed to own the stage” Sydney Morning Herald

‘SEE HIM AND MARVEL ...BRILLIANTLY INVENTIVE, QUIRKY STAND-UP’

“An explosion of laughter and entertainment” The Daily Telegraph

THE SUN

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An Original Play by Paul Ayre

1989: Australia launches 18 year space mission to Pluto.

2006: It's discovered that Pluto is no longer a planet.

At least they have 15 Phil Collins songs to keep them company.

On repeat.

DAVID COLLINS PAUL AYRE NICK BOSHIER SARAH BISHOP May 3rd - 20th Performance 8pm Matinees 4pm $33.50/$30.50/$23 Preview May 1st $22.50

Sidetrack Theatre 142 Addison Road Marrickville Book tickets at www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

As part of the Umbilical Brothers, Shane fell down a lot. Now with this solo show, he will need to stand up.

Can he make you believe?

SEYMOUR CENTRE

APRIL 24TH - 28TH 9PM TICKETEK 132 849 SEYMOUR CENTRE BOX OFFICE: 9351 7940 sydneycomedyfest.com.au

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SATURDAY

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly

five things WITH

RAF FROM JUBILANTS Inspirations José is Peruvian and recently did a trip 2. around South America, so there’s a really Latin flavour in the new material he’s been writing. We’ve been getting inspired by a lot of funk and neo-soul, especially The Neptunes’ production and D’Angelo’s work with ?uestlove. Hermitude’s new album is trippy and wicked, as is Chet Faker’s EP and the new Arctic Monkeys album. So… anything, really.

Your Crew Jubilants is José on vocals, me on 3. guitar, Ardie on drums and Josh on bass.

We all went to the same high school and Ardie was two years above us, so apart from a few years of mild adolescent bullying we’ve been good mates for years now. I’m a big RnB fan, José loves soul and electronic music right now, Ardie digs disco and Josh is a closet metalhead, but it keeps things interesting. Bit of a fight in the car for what music we listen to, though.

1.

Growing Up I learnt piano from when I was six and my parents played music that I thought was dorky, but in retrospect was awesome: Nina Simone,

Buena Vista Social Club, Jimmy Cliff, and some instrumental rainforest soundtrack that my dad did yoga to. But after all that exposure, the first single I bought was by Hoobastank.

THE FINAL TRIAL

PUBLISHERS: Adam Zammit & Rob Furst EDITOR IN CHIEF: Adam Zammit 9552 6333 adam@peergroupmedia.com ACTING EDITOR: Dee Jefferson steph@thebrag.com 02 9698 9645 ACTING ARTS & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Roslyn Helper dee@thebrag.com 02 9690 2731 STAFF WRITER: Caitlin Welsh NEWS: Nathan Jolly, Chris Honnery ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Levy SNAP PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Simon Gorges, Rasa Juskeviciute, Ashley Mar, Daniel Munns, Rosette Rouhana, Rocket Weijers, Sam Whiteside, Tim Whitney ADVERTISING: Ross Eldridge - 0422 659 425 / (02) 8394 9492 ross@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 8394 9027 les@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Meaghan Meredith - 0423 655 091 / (02) 8394 9168 meaghan@thebrag.com GIG & CLUB GUIDE CO-ORDINATOR: Conrad Richters - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock) clubguide@thebrag.com (dance & parties) INTERNS: Sigourney Berndt, Antigone Anagnostellis, Verity Cox

Melbourne’s Trial Kennedy (named after Karl and Susan’s messy divorce) have sadly announced they are putting an end to this whole ‘releasing awesome alternative rock records’ thing, and are disbanding. They have cited “a number of reasons” behind the split, so let the speculation begin! We are guessing, and therefore printing, that the split was due to half the band wanting to go hip hop and the other half feeling the lucrative RSL circuit is the way to go. Also, Yoko sat on George’s amp, and the Cester brothers were fighting at airports.

Speculate and gesticulate wildly at their farewell show June 15 at Oxford Art Factory. After The Fall are supporting too. They aren’t leaving us.

Everybody always leaves.

SUFJAN USA

A third (and final – so don’t dilly-dally, dillydalliers) show for Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and Sufjan Stevens’ Vivid LIVE joint Planetarium is happening May 29, and if the idea of three of New York’s finest musos appeals to you, then tickets are available from sydneyoperahouse.com from $59. That’s less than the price of a bottle of Hendricks Gin. (Cliff’s Notes: Dessner is the guitarist for The National, Muhly composed the score for The Reader, and we won’t insult your intelligence by explaining the joy of Sufjan to you).

The Music You Make We started as any band would, kinda 4. jamming in one of our garages and letting songs come to life off a lick or a riff or a quirky drum beat. But as the band’s grown

Jack White

DEVIN SANDWICH

Have you seen New York rocker Devin? He looks like Jason Priestley a bit, and also like a younger Rufus Wainwright, and also has that James Dean swagger that the ladies seem to like. (Fun fact: Did you know Fry from Futurama’s clothing and hair are based on Rebel Without A Cause James Dean? Think about it… mindbomb!) Devin hammered SXSW and is now coming Down Under for the first time to play tracks from his sultry, swoony debut record Romancing. May 23, Oxford Art Factory it happens. Let’s grow and gel us some quiffs.

Then we get the women… and first pick on the jukebox.

Smashing Pumpkins (!?)

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10 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

With: Made In Japan, The Salvadors, Pear Shape Where: FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel When: Friday April 27

MERRY WEATHER

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of The BRAG.

Win a giveaway? Mail us a stamped and addressed envelope, and we’ll send your prize on over...

but right now music in Sydney is beyond thriving – it’s almost flooded with really high quality artists. So we’re in this weird situation where we have the odd luxury of picking and choosing the best music from the best crop. On the other end of that stick, it’s far too easy for bands to crest quickly and then fall back into obscurity. We want to make sure that isn’t ever something to worry about, so we’re constantly pushing ourselves creatively, and trying to put out music that we’re proud of.

UK-based, Aussie pop maestro Daniel Merriweather is a dangerous person to be around. The evening can be going fine: you’re pulling some serious dance moves, you’re looking good in a jacket and your Reebok pumps and then BAM! Merriweather struts up in a fucking suit looking all tall and handsome and having that amazing falsetto and that Ronson cred and you look like a can of Fanta sitting next to a piña colada. This will happen for sure at his May 20 show at The Standard, so when tickets go on sale April 30 via moshtix.com.au buy one, then turn up in shorts and sandals.

What’s the point?

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Music, Right Here, Right Now It’s weird to talk about the music scene 5. as if you’re from the outside looking in,

THE STRIPES

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Benjamin Cooper, Alasdair Duncan, Max Easton, Christie Eliezer, Murray Engleheart, Chris Honnery, Nathan Jolly, Sheridan Morley, Jenny Noyes, Hugh Robertson, Romi Scodellaro, Jonno Seidler, Rach Seneviratne, Roland K. Smith, Luke Telford, Rick Warner, Andrew Yorke

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the songwriting process has too, and we now approach it differently. José’s getting really into production and the intricacies of the recording process, so rather than trying to birth a song from a garage jam, we’ll really think about how we want a song to feel, how we want it to begin, and where we want it to go.

Speaking of the White Stripes (segue!) Jack White was officially announced for Splendour last week, which of course means sideshows!

The reasons for his Sydney show (July 26; Hordern) are twofold: Firstly, to perform tracks from his holywow-it’s-out-now debut solo album Blunderbuss (the word ‘debut’ is ridiculous for a man as prolific as Jack) and secondly to answer our totally founded allegations that he ripped the middle eight from White Stripes classic ‘You’re Pretty Good Looking For A Girl’ from ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’. Which can happen by osmosis if you grow up watching Mermaids every day, as Jack did (citation missing). Tickets on sale May 1 via frontiertouring.com/jackwhite

NED’S BERLIN RECORD

SPLENDID

Splendour In The Grass have announced their epic 2012 lineup, and not surprisingly there is an amazing array of artists, including but not limited to those in the following list: Jack White, Bloc Party, Smashing Pumpkins, 2 Pac Hologram, At The Drive-In, The Shins, Metric, Hilltop Hoods, The Kooks, Gossip, Miike Snow, Dirty Three, Lana Del Rey, Azealia Banks, Explosions In The Sky, Ladyhawke, and read the rest online please, this is a magazine not a shopping list. Tickets on sale from 9am April 27, and you better believe it will sell out. Also it’s back at Byron this year (July 27-29) so don’t drive to Woodfordia, or you’ll just be in Woodfordia. Peace. splendourinthegrass.com

Much like David Bowie, Lou Reed and Nick Cave, Melbourne songwriter Ned Collette writes his best music when holed up in a bedsit in Berlin. His latest album 2 not surprisingly deals with the theme of distance a lot – Berlin is a long way from The Tote after all (especially at night when you can’t get a bus for love nor money). He launches this Spanish-guitar drenched, guest-laden (Gemma Ray, Laura Jean, Biddy Connor) album June 15 at FBi Social with his backing band Wirewalker. In support, and with much better genes than you, is Israeli-born, Russian-raised, Berlin-based babe Mary Ocher. Get along!

SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER - NEWCASTLE ENT. CENTRE Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au

Monday 22 OCTOBER - SYDNEY ENT. CENTRE Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au

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rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Nathan Jolly

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

he said she said WITH GRASS TAYLOR Naz, Muse and Anti-Flag are high on my iPod rotation list at the moment.

Crew I’m flying solo this time around.

3.Your The Music You Make Having been a label artist in the past, 4. as a songwriter and performer through my twenties, I’d finally had enough of composing songs that were aimed at pleasing everyone but myself. During 2010 I spent time in the Amazon, partaking in various Ayuhuasca ceremonies with the Shipibo Shamans; my big realisation was that I absolutely still needed to be making music, but on my own terms. I immediately booked studio time when I got back, and recorded a nine-track album. Think Adalita vs Lennon vs Brand New... but suckier.

Music, Right Here, Right Now I love where the music scene is at the 5. moment; artists have all the tools they need

1.

Growing Up My old man (the original Grass Taylor) was an Astor Records recording and touring artist in the ‘60s and ‘70s, a hired gun on the skins for some of Australia’s greatest performers, including John Farnham, Billy Thorpe – and he even knocked back Rick Springfield from fronting his group back in the day. I think it hit home when dad casually said one day ‘playing Festival Hall was interesting’; this prompted me to ask a few follow-up questions, through which I discovered an array of hooligan stories from his days as a Mod rocker in the late ‘60s.

2.

Inspirations My older brother and sister dragged me through the ‘80s, so bands like Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row and KISS were always on the needle. In turn, I would force my younger sisters to put on KISS concerts with me at home to the album Alive 2 – full face-paint, birthday sparklers for fire works, talcum powder for smoke bombs, and tomato sauce for Gene’s blood-spitting. Amazing times! As a songwriter nowadays I look for artists who have something to say about the world; lyrical content is key for me – Lennon,

The Black Keys

to get their music heard, and Aussie fans are still heading to shows. What I do see is a lack of promotional creativity from upstart bands. Their heads seem to be stuck in the old music business model – still believing the stories in their favourite band’s documentary.

Bands who inspire me are the ones who take risks, work hard and write killer tunes <insert Trial Kennedy here>.

With: Thom Crawford, Cisco Rose Where: Roxbury Hotel / 182 St Johns Rd Glebe When: Friday April 27

STONEFIELD

When you and your brothers/sisters were melting each other’s G.I. Joes/Barbies on the gas heater, the Findlay sisters were making their parents move the cows over to the left side of the shed out the back so they could rehearse their kickass rock revival band. Since then, Stonefield have played Glastonbury, opened for Foo Fighters, played Sunset Strip, and toured the country with Temper Trap, 360 and Matt Corby for triple j’s regional One Night Stand… So once you’re done kicking yourself for not corralling your siblings into a garage band, circle Friday April 27 in your diary, when the ladies are taking over The Standard for the Sydney pit-stop of their Bad Reality tour. Then email us with the first name of one of the sisters (read our story) and we might give you a double pass.

WOOHOO! REVUE!

Envision Jack Sparrow at a London circus during the height of Jack The Ripper’s reign of terror, mix it with some seriously hypnotic dance music, and you’ll get the jist of Melbourne’s Woohoo Revue. This gypsy-esque six-piece broke out with their debut Dear Animals in 2009 and have just released their sophomore slice, Moreland’s Ball. They’ve spent three years touring, including Falls and Melbourne International Gypsy Festival, so they probably know what they’re doing with that triple time signature. They hit The Vanguard Friday April 27, with Juke Baritone in support.

To get your (one) tiny hand(s) on a double pass, tell us one other famous revue.

The Woohoo Revue

KARNIVOOL? KOOL!

Karnivool are celebrating fifteen years of extremely phonetic spelling with the Latinas-fuck-titled Melodias Frescas tour. They may have started life as a nu-metal band (speaking of phonetic spelling) but if you haven’t seen them since those days, they are so prog rock they make Yes look like a bunch of shriveled old grapes…oh, wait. They hit the Hi-Fi on July 12 and 13 and if you have plans for your face the following day, cancel them, it’ll be all melted and grinning. Buy tickets the futuristic Internet way at thehifi.com.au Karnivool

THE KEYS

The Black Keys are currently plugging that bluesy-rocky two-piece void that Jack and Meg left gaping open, and are planning to blow minds October 22 at Sydney Entertainment Centre with a huge live show featuring giant mirror balls and twenty projectors. Yes, we know they’ve released seven great, important records over a decade, but shhh you, they are a hip new buzz band which is why you’ll need to rush to get tickets, which are on sale now. Melbourne has already sold out, and considering we aren’t that far behind them anymore, this’ll sell out very shortly.

UNDERGROUND

24: Live is the latest underground music festival, and due to archaic laws restricting the digging of underground dungeons in the CBD, it is happening this Saturday April 28 at the very above-ground venue known as The Square (corner of George and Hay St if you are currently directing a cabbie; ask him his ‘biggest fare ever’ story, they love that).

Two stages will be erected, with loads of bands, including Red Fire Red, We Without, Sugar Sun, Mordechai, Sarah Bird, Don Christopher, and Samba Ninja. Tickets from redfireredfire.com

[V]ICTORY

Channel [V], the channel that brought you Andrew G, Jabba and Yumi (also Steve from Step-Panther; that lad rules!) will now be flinging a new buzz artist at you each month, via their new initiative [V] Buzz Artist. The first one is announced May 1, after which they will ply you with awesome clips, videos, interviews and the like from that artist, plus exclusive and extensive content on vmusic.com.au.

We promise you’ll love it. If you don’t, please sort out some better taste.

WASUPPI?

You know that charismatic man who fronts (in the positional sense, not the hip hop sense) roots band Watussi? Well, his name is Oscar Jimenez, and he is launching his spanking new single ‘Isabela’ May 24 at The Basement (support provided by Abuka Trio), which kinda sounds like Lenny Kravitz but not in a Terence Trent D’Arby way, you know what we mean?

Buckley Ward

FLAP!FLAP!FLAP!

There’s horns, there’s gypsy brass, there’s ukuleles, there’s double basses, and for the love of God, when trying to find information about Flap!’s new record A Great Day For The Race, do not try to Google their name or you will unleash search results that will see you added to a number of registers. They launch their lovely, jaunty, gypsy-soaked record May 31 at the Camelot Lounge. Smash those two words together, add a .com and marvel at the ease in which you can buy tickets.

SUNSET APRIL

Seems you guys went and made Sunset People – that free series of Sunday arvo shows at Hollywood Hotel – so successful that Popfrenzy and Radiant are continuing the concept. April 29 will see The Fighting League headline, alongside guests so secret we can’t announce them yet, and May 6 will deliver The Holy Soul and Matt Blackman (Charge Group/Purplene) and ‘guests’. Free entry, shows start at 4pm, no you cannot bring Terri if she is going to talk through all the bands again.

BUCKLEY’S CHANCE

Buckley Ward do possibly our favourite thing in the world: bright, bouncy, harmony-drenched power pop songs with evil, dark thoughts lurking just under the surface (and in the lyrics, if you’re one of those ‘pay attention’ types). They launch their new record So Pretend (which apparently is good according to page 26) at FBi Social June 2, and it’ll be just like your Year 10 formal. Except you’re invited!

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee” 12 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

ANZAC DAY EVE PARTY TUESDAY APRIL 24

CLUB ROOM: BLACK DIAMOND HEARTS (LIVE), PABLO CALAMARI TERRACE: MIKE J, CONRAD GREENLEAF TEA ROOM: SOUP KITCHEN DJS BORDELLO: BEACH PARTY $10 FROM 10PM . 24 BAYSWATER RD KINGS CROSS

THE WORLD BAR BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 13

The Music Network

themusicnetwork.com

Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * The highlight of Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headlining set at the Coachella festival was a life-size hologram of Tupac Shakur that made a guest appearance. Hip hopper Nas thought it a â&#x20AC;&#x153;revolutionaryâ&#x20AC;? concept, especially as a huge amount of folks in the hip hop community think Tupac is alive, despite reports he was shot in 1996. Dre and Snoop are contemplating taking 2D Tupac on a joint world tour. And wait, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more: actor Jamal Woolard, who played the Notorious B.I.G. in the movie Notorious, reckons Biggie should tour as a 2D. Maybe the two 2Ds could end up firing at each other. The question is, what do the estates of these rappers charge? As a guest? An act on the bill?

Or a lighting effect? * Ten Network must be gritting its teeth watching rival Nine swan about smugly, with The Voice getting 2.177 million viewers on its first night and 2.541 million across the five city metro markets in the second night. 12 months ago, when Lachlan Murdoch was ruler of Ten, he was offered The Voice but made a low bid â&#x20AC;&#x201C; figuring Nine was too busy with its debts to make a decent grab for it. Ten is fighting back this year with four new reality shows. One, I Will

MOG IN OZ California-based ad-free subscription music service Mog is coming to Australia, via a three-year deal with Telstra. It is offering over 15 million songs through mobile phones and internet-connected devices like smart TVs and tablets. Any Australian consumer can sign up for Mog or download its application, but only Telstra customers (13 million mobile; 2.5 million fixed broadband) can stream and download music without affecting their data plans. Mog/ Telstra have not announced a launch date but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected to be within months.

P. DIDDY TOP DOG P. Diddy topped Forbes magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-earning hip hop moguls.

His US$550 million was made from his involvement in Ciroc Vodka, Sean John and Enyce clothing, Blue Flame marketing and Bad Boy Records. That fortune will grow next year when he launches his own cable channel, Revolt. Diddy beat Jay-Z, whose $460 million in earnings were helped by a lucrative deal with Live Nation, the Watch The Throne world tour, and business interests like the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club chain and Rocawear clothing label. Dr. Dre made $270 million, Birdman (whose Cash Money Records signed Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne) hit $125 million, and 50 Cent made $110 million.

BREWSTER BROS CASE The US District Court in LA found that Rick and John Brewster of The Angels wrongly appropriated 11 songs written by Alan Niven for their Brewster Brothers project. Niven used to manage Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses, Great White and, in 1988/89, also The Angels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; during which time he got them their last major label deal in the States.

Niven filed the suit two years ago. The court

Survive, puts male singers who can act and dance on tour on a Priscilla-type bus, with the winner getting a gig on Broadway. * Flo Rida might have worn $200,000 worth of bling at the Logies, but backstage all he wanted was fried chicken and bananas. * Bodyjar, who after sell-out VIC and SA dates have announced shows in NSW and QLD, admit that the tour almost didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen, after a band member broke his arm intervening on behalf of a young lady who was accosted by some troglodytes. * TiĂŤsto earned $20 million last year, and deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii get $1 million a show. But NY house DJ Danny Tenaglia is giving up his career. He wants to â&#x20AC;&#x153;smell the roses in my lifeâ&#x20AC;?. But he adds that while people think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich, the 51-year-old canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford his New York loft. * Natalie Bassingthwaighte and drummer husband Cameron McGlinchey sold their Elizabeth Bay pad for $830,000 and snapped up a four-room house in Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swish Brighton that was on the market for $2.4 million. * Country singer Kirsty Akers has opened her own music-themed cafe (Millieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House Of Food & Music) in her hometown of Kurri Kurri, Hunter Valley.

has put an injunction to stop the Brewstersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CD being sold in the US, awarded Niven damages from iTunes sales, and ordered Rick Brewster to return two guitars to Niven. The Brewsters and Sydney publisher Flashpoint Music have to pay Nivenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s costs.

BUZZ ARTIST On May 1, Channel [V] will launch the new initiative [V] Buzz Artist, to give a nudge to emerging artists who are creating a buzz in blog chatter or on the live circuit. One act will be selected each month and will be heavily profiled on the channel. Their videos will be screened, while vmusic.com. au will have a dedicated feature page with interviews, bios, downloads, gig guide and photo galleries. The first [V] Buzz Artist will be announced May 1.

VALE GREG HAM Like his school friend Colin Hay, Greg Ham came from a background in music and theatre. In 1979 he joined Men At Work, adding sax, flute and synth to their reggaeflavoured songs. The duoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theatre interests led to colourful and spirited videos that were embraced by the just-launched MTV. Men At Work sold 30 million albums around the world. They gained a hat-trick when â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Down Underâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and debut album Business As Usual were at #1 simultaneously in the US and UK. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Down Underâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; remains iconic, but the 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; court case left Ham devastated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m terribly disappointed that thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to be remembered â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for copying something,â&#x20AC;? he told The Age. Greg Ham was 58 when he passed.

BONDI WAVE CONFERENCE Bondi Waveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music industry conference will take place on Friday May 11 at Bondi Pavilion. Convened by Lindy Morrison,

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14 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

speakers are Philip Mortlock (head of creative for Alberts), Colin Daniels (MD, Inertia), Brent Lean (MD, Mothership Music), Fergus Linehan (Festival Director for Vivid LIVE), Andy Gumley (booking agent, Village Sounds), DJ John Ferris (head of licensing and sync, Ministry Of Sound Australia), Murat Kilic (CEO, Reckless Republic), Gabriel Clouston & Joel Rapaport (Big Village Records) and Brooke Salisbury (label manager at Spunk). It is free entry, but attendees must register via bondipav@waverly.nsw.gov.au or 8362 3400.

turned-promoter Radiant are continuing their free Sunday afternoon Sunset People live sessions at Surry Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hollywood Hotel.

Coming up are The Fighting League and Holy Soul.

BIG SOUND, FIRST DROP

OPPORTUNITY: RADIO

Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Sound conference and music showcase (September 12-14) has announced Ben Lee, David Bridie and EMI Music Australia chairman Mark Poston as the first three keynote speakers for their 2012 program. For a full list of speakers and first round of showcase acts, or to apply to showcase, go to bigsound.org.au.

IVOR NOVELLO AWARDS In a first for the Ivor Novello songwriting awards, all this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finalists for Best Album are female â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adele, Kate Bush and PJ Harvey. Adeleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rolling In The Deepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Someone Like Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; will battle Take Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Floodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for most performed. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rolling In The Deepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is up for best song musically and lyrically alongside Florence + The Machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shake It Outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Ed Sheeranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The A Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Nominees for best contemporary song are Neroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Promisesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Lana Del Reyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Video Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and James Blakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Wilhelm Screamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

AUSSIES TOP US CHARTS Two Aussies were at the top of the US charts last week. Gotyeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)â&#x20AC;&#x2122; went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, after selling 500,000 copies Stateside in one week (5 million worldwide; #1 on iTunes in 33 countries) while the Making Mirrors album entered the Top 10 at #7 and has sold 1 million worldwide. Gotye is the fifth Australian to hit #1 in America: chart historian Ed Nimmervoll tells us that the others were Helen Reddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Am Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Dec â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;72), Olivia Newton-Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Honestly Love Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Oct â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;74) and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Have You Never Been Mellowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Mar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;75), Men At Workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Who Can It Be Nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Nov 82) and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Down Underâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;83), INXSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Need You Tonightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;88), and Savage Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Truly Madly Deeplyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;98) and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Knew I Loved Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;00).

(The latter was the only track not recorded in Oz.) Simultanously to Goyteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stateside success, Lee Briceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Woman Like Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, co-written by Sydney-born Phil Barton, is #1 on the US country charts. In the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s, Barton was in ABC kids act The Flower Pot Gang, and set up a songwriting and production company Juice Music with Scott Aplin. Now based in Nashville, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written countless songs, including recent releases

by Troy Cassar-Daley and Rick Price.

SEC OPEN â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TIL 2013 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business as usual for the Sydney Entertainment Centre until November 30, 2013, its GM Steve Romer said. Last week the NSW government announced that the SEC (which opened in 1983) will be demolished and the Convention and Exhibition Centre closed between 2013 and 2016 for a $1 billion revamp, creating an international convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour. The SEC will be replaced with an 8,000-capacity red carpet facility, suitable for international entertainment events and mega conferences. The state government appointed two bodies to seek alternate venues for post-November 2013 events. Wollongongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre is among those putting its hands up to have concerts pushed their way.

GREENROOM CLOSES After a month-long trial in March, Canberraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greenroom, at Woden Tradies Club, has closed. Canberra promoter and Greenroom manager Garry Peadon called the decision â&#x20AC;&#x153;disappointingâ&#x20AC;?, as the club had been well supported by local punters. But Tradies management told the Canberra Times that costs to make the club permanent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; installing the air conditioning, lighting and soundproofing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; were more expensive than first thought. Complaints from club members about unspecified behavior of Greenroom punters didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help.

SUNSET PEOPLE CONTINUES After successful runs in the last three months, Popfrenzy and FBi radio show-

GUN CONTROL US rapper O G Smoov poses on his latest CD cover with a handgun, kneeling over a body. Alas, local cops, realising heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a convicted felon and therefore cannot possess a firearm, raided his house and nicked him after they allegedly found a .25-caliber handgun and illegal drugs.

Radio Northern Beaches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 260,000 listeners every month in the Manly, Warringah and Pittwater areas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is giving local DJs and musicians the opportunity to broadcast their mixes on Friday and Saturday nights. The Beat has played dance and beat based music since 2008, but will re-launch in May with a spotlight on local talent. It welcomes mixes from all genres, styles and methods of recording, from soul and hip hop to techno and dubstep, using vinyl, CDJs or music software such as Ableton. Its producers are also offering free training to those interested in producing radio. Successful candidates will learn how to select mixes, produce pre-recorded programs with voice-overs and broadcast on radio. See facebook.com/rnbthebeat.

TAMWORTH PITCHES To attract more international names for the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Tamworth Regional Council is sending three of its events staffers to Nashville in June to pick up tips on how to run the festival better and hold talks with bigwigs to lure more US acts. The jaunt costs $25,000 but Council GM Paul Bennett explains that it should be seen as an investment to ensure the festival keeps annually pumping $50 million into the local economy. Down the line, he says, Tamworth and Nashville could forge links as sister cities.

Lifelines Dating? Katy Perry and Florence + The Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd, seen holding hands at the Coachella festival.

Ill: BjĂśrk, forced to cancel two shows after discovering a nodule in her throat.

Arrested: P. Diddy fan Quamine Taylor, 30, after breaking into Diddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empty mansion, dressing in his clothes and drinking his booze. He triggered off the alarm but initially convinced cops he was a family member.

Arrested: A security guard at a rehearsal space in California, after five Tom Petty guitars worth $160,000 were stolen and found in a pawn shop.

Sued: Johnny Depp, by a woman who claims that after an argument with him when she entered the VIP section of an Iggy Pop show, she dislocated an elbow. Cops said the woman was heavily intoxicated.

Died: Levon Helm, 71, throat cancer. The singer and drummer for The Band was also a major solo artist in his own right, with Grammy Award-winning albums Dirt Farmer and the live Ramble At The Ryman.

Died: Dick Clark, 82, of a heart attack. The producer of TV shows American Bandstand and American Top 40 shaped pop culture for decades.

Died: Andrew Love, sax player and co-founder of the Memphis Horns, 70, after suffering from Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. The Horns played on 52 #1 records, including Neil Diamondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sweet Carolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Elvis Presleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Suspicious Mindsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Sam & Daveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Soul Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Al Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stay Togetherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

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Fu Manchu Thu 3 May

W/ Black Cobra

Atmosphere Sat 12 May

Mount Kimbie

Devildriver

Digitalism

Fri 4 May

Sat 5 May

Fri 11 May

W/ Six Feet Under, Darkest Hour

w/ Beni

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Kaiser Chiefs Tue 15 May

w/ Evidence

w/ Deep Sea Arcade

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BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 15

Rhyme The Rhyme Well By Hugh Robertson

“G

od, I suck at this shit. They should have warned you before you called that I really suck at talking.” This, quite frankly, is bullshit. Sean Daley doesn’t suck at talking. For close to 20 years, he has been more widely known as Slug, the MC for feted Minnesota rap duo Atmosphere, who have made a career out of presenting vignettes of disadvantaged, disappointing lives and streetscapes defined by flawed, sad human beings – all drawn in Daley’s scorchingly honest and deeply personal lyrics.

At its very best, Atmosphere is defined by the tension between the tight, minimal samples of Antony Davis (aka Ant) and the passionate, emotive rhymes of Slug. Where the former’s instrumentals are often almost belligerently spare and repetitive, Slug has an extraordinary ability to draw everything from the international and geopolitical into an intensely personal place; to succinctly reduce society down to a series of individual relationships, and then extrapolate back out at breathtaking speed. At his best, Slug is like hip hop’s Google Maps – able to zoom in on the messy minutiae of a single human interaction and then zoom out again so quickly that he’s confronting the darkest traits of our entire species before you even know what’s happening. Whatever else his shortcomings, let it never be said that Sean Daley is shit with words.

Throughout his career, Slug’s intensely personal subject matter has ensured him and his group a devout following of those who feel as though he is speaking to them, or at the very least speaking for them: their shortcomings, their troubled relationships, their difficulties relating to the opposite sex, their frustration at the lies and manipulations of corporations and governments.

Part of the reason for the success of Rhymesayers is a shared philosophy among labelmates, eschewing the hypermisogynistic tendencies of many higherprofile MCs and labels and focusing instead on issues and themes that people can identify with. That they do so with searing insight and razor-sharp rhymes is also an important aspect; but another significant part is that they all seem like really nice guys. In fact, Daley suggests it might be more the latter than the former.

“I think that the positive personality traits that we carry kinda help push people into thinking that we’re more talented than we actually are,” Daley says. “We maybe get extra credit points for trying hard to make music that’s more than just catchy, that’s trying to actually communicate – for want of a better term for shoving our moral compasses down your throats.”

Minneapolis comes across as a really nice place. Anyone who has ever been there seems to have only glowing reports, and it’s no surprise that the highest-profile Minnesotan on TV is played by Jason Segel, whose Marshall Eriksen is the loving, honest, fiercely loyal and perennially goofy emotional centre of How I Met Your Mother. Try as Michele Bachmann might, Minnesotans exist in the zeitgeist as friendly, unpretentious, and good people to have a beer with. And Daley agrees; when I ask him how he and Ant have managed to spend the bulk of the past 20 years in the same room as each other, he doesn’t think twice before answering.

“I would say this, man: I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by the people I’m surrounded by. A big part of why I appreciate that I get to do this is because of the people. The money is ok, it’s a decent job as far as that’s concerned. The validation is good, and you love it when people appreciate something you do. The communication factor is great, and I’m stoked about the fact that I get to speak my mind on a regular basis – on stage, off stage, whatever. I’ve reached a place where, sometimes, people might give a shit about what my opinion might be. But [even with] all these things combined, as great as they are, if I had to hang out with people that sucked, I would probably stop doing this.”

Accordingly, when Atmosphere head Down Under next month they’ll be bringing labelmate, longtime collaborator and friend Evidence with them. “He did two different tours with me in the US last year, and we also went to Europe together,” says Daley, so I would say that over the past twelve months we have spent a lot of time together. So when they asked us if we wanted to tour together in Australia we were both excited to do that.

When you can travel with friends that’s better than travelling with people you don’t know. At least when you’re antisocial like myself.”

Of Atmosphere’s work in recent years, the most distinctive trait is Daley’s perceived shift away from telling stories about his own life towards telling stories that have their basis in fiction. It’s been a feature of the critical response to new Atmosphere records since 2008’s When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.

But Daley has a question to pose to those same critics: “How do you know that that shit was really fiction, other than the fact that I told you it was fiction? Maybe it’s fiction; maybe it’s just more of me trying to blur the lines. Because, at the end of the day, I just want to become a better writer. What do I get to exploit to become a better writer? Do I get to exploit situations I know and people I know? Do I get to tell their stories just so I can be a better writer? Do I get to exploit the opposite sex by pretending that I can climb inside the mind of a woman and rap from

“I know I can’t rap as good as Redman, for fuck’s sake… maybe I’ll never get an opportunity to rhyme ‘astral projections’ with ‘gastric infections’ and make sense of it. But I can wing my way into your heart by opening up my own heart to you.” her viewpoint? Where do I draw the line of exploitation?”

I don’t have an answer for him, of course.

There is a constant struggle around the issue of exploitation for anyone whose art relies on exposing aspects of another person’s life, and where the line is drawn is a matter of personal choice. But the most important part of all this is to keep asking that question, to demand of yourself the sort of objective engagement with your work that enables you to stand outside it and analyse your choices. Even after all these years, Atmosphere are still trying to find that balance.

“Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it” 16 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

With: Evidence (Dilated Peoples) Where: The Hi-Fi / Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park When: Saturday May 12 xxx

“I know I can’t rap as good as Redman, for fuck’s sake,” Daley says, “but what I can do is become a part of a listener’s life by rapping about things that really mean a lot to me, and possibly mean a lot to you as well. And so maybe I’ll never get an opportunity to rhyme ‘astral projections’ with ‘gastric infections’ and make sense of it. But I can wing my way into your heart by opening up my own heart to you.”

That personal connection is a huge part of Atmosphere’s success, but is also something that Slug and Ant share with their Rhymesayers label mates. Established in 1995 with their high-school friends Musab Saad and Brent Sayers (before any of them had even released a record), Rhymesayers Entertainment is now the largest hip hop label in Minnesota and hosts a remarkable roster of largely home-grown talent, including Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, Blueprint and Evidence (who is touring Australia with Atmosphere – more on that later).

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BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 17

Children Collide The Survivors By Lachlan Kanoniuk

T

here’s not a whole lot of difference between the Children Collide that took to the stage for a nondescript weeknight slot at Ding Dong Lounge back in the mid2000s, and the current alternative-radiodominating iteration. Back then, the band – which consisted of lead singer Johnny Mackay, bassist Heath Crawley, and then-drummer (the band’s second) Steph Hughes – were gaining traction with the success of the single ‘Amphibious’, joining the throng of post-Jet, post-Wolfmother Aussie rock acts gaining national attention.

None of the other emerging talents who played alongside Children Collide that night have gone on to be quite as successful. In this sense the band are survivors, proving to be one of the select few rock acts of the past decade or so to prosper into the 2010s. And with the release of the often-elusive third LP on the horizon, and their fourth drummer, Ryan Caeser, quitting the band, Children Collide look like they’re taking it all in their stride.

In the midst of the final tour with Caeser, Mackay says of his band’s tenacity, “That is something that the three of us have together, that drive. Obviously we’re about to lose our fourth drummer, but that drive definitely made him a part of our team. Maybe some bands just don’t have that. For me it’s just something

that I can’t not do. And for me to have this avenue and to be able to make a living off it, and be able to play for people, it’s something I will always fight for, for sure.”

Rather than ascribe Caeser’s departure to “creative differences”, the band has been typically frank about the situation. “[Giving a vague explanation] was contemplated, but that’s really not who we are,” Mackay explains.

“He’s a really good dude and one of the best drummers in the country. Just sometimes these things don’t work out on a personal level.

Saying that, this tour’s been great.”

As per its title, their latest album Monument features a stadium-sized sound, courtesy of producer Woody Annison, who has also worked with local favourites Red Riders and Cabins. “Woody and I would sit there with three or four amps set up; I’d be pulling out pedals left right and centre,” Mackay recalls.

“We’d have up to 10 or 12 guitars, maybe more, to choose from. We’d just sort of go through and test the sound. Woody’s done a really great job on the production. We did our second EP with him, as well as pretty much all our demos since then.”

The first taste of Monument was ‘Sword To A Gunfight’, which features the kind of trippedout, reverbed guitar lines that have seen the

Step-Panther Keep Moving By Greg Clennar on reshaping the sounds – before it was just mimicking what Jack had done,” says Stevesie. “It’s all starting to take shape now.”

With the trio’s reputation for entertaining live shows and comic onstage antics (including playing shows under hilarious heavy metal monikers), I ask whether the joviality of early Step-Panther has survived Jack’s departure. “Yeah, I think so,” muses Steve. “Our live shows have always been based on our mood really, so it’s a bit up and down. If it happens, it happens, it just depends on the mood of the night.” Right now, however, the band is still focused on building a musical rapport with one another.

“We’ve only really done one show with our new drummer,” Steve explains, “so at the moment we’re just working on getting it together; it’s all still a bit new.”

P

op-punk, garage rock, slacker rock – call it what you will, Sydney-based trio Step-Panther are twenty-somethingyear-old guys who play fast-paced, blithe rock music to have a good time. Rather than challenging genre constructs in order to distinguish themselves from Sydney’s plethora of indie rock bands, they seem to revel in blatant imitations of various artists from the ‘60s to the ‘90s. This is a band who unashamedly wear their influences on their sleeves. And it works. “It doesn’t bother me, we’ll just play what we want to, anyway,” declares frontman Stevesie, his lackadaisical demeanour reminiscent of the slacker attitude of ‘90s icons such as Stephen Malkmus and Beck.

But Step-Panther have been anything but slack over the two-and-a-half years since they formed, graduating from basementthrash recordings to the studio-precise rock’n’roll cuts of their debut LP, earning a SMAC 2011 nomination, and making it onto NME’s hitlist of bands to watch in 2012.

They’ve powered through the departure of drummer Jack (aka Julio) in early 2011, emerging a year later with a fresh sound – on the brink of their first international tour.

“We’ve just got a permanent drummer now, so we’ve only really just started working

Step-Panther’s upcoming shows will give them a chance to test-drive both their new lineup and the more polished sound they revealed in last year’s self-titled debut LP. Teaming up with producer ‘Berkfinger’ (of Philadelphia Grand Jury) motivated a change in auditory textures for the trio. “We all crammed into this backyardshed-type-studio to record and got the whole thing done in three days,” Steve recalls. “We all had the same mentality of powering through and getting the tracks down, not dwelling on anything too much.

[Berkfinger] got us to do everything a little more direct – a straight-to-the-point kind of ethic,” he explains. “He cut out what was unnecessary. There was a lot of trimming of the fat – it worked pretty well.”

track compared to Primal Scream – whom Children Collide did in fact share a bill with for 2011 Big Day Out. “I dunno, I always experiment in a lot of different ways. Whatever I’m listening to at the time seems to come out,” Mackay demurs. “That’s sort of what just happened, it wasn’t very conscious. ‘Sword To A Gunfight’ was written pretty much straight after the Big Day Out tour, and I was just mucking about in my room trying to get a little bit like Bobby [Gillespie]. [But] there’s probably a lot more early ‘70s German stuff on [this

album] more than anything.”

Averaging around one album per year, Children Collide stand as one of the very few modern acts to maintain a prolific output. “I find it difficult to restrain the output,” Johnny states.

“I’d put out more albums if it was feasible. I’ve got hundreds of songs sitting there ready to go. I’m not saying they’re all good, but I do write a lot of songs,” he grins.

What: Monument out April 20 through Universal

Cairo Knife Fight Rock’n’roll Party By Benjamin Cooper

C

airo Knife Fight announced their arrival in 2009 with an aggressive and powerful selftitled EP. Fast-forward three years and the New Zealand outfit have trimmed down to a duo, yet somehow managed to expand the scope of their sound and songwriting, as evidenced by their recent SxSW shows and their latest EP, II. “We did used to be a much bigger band with six members,” frontman Nick Gaffaney admits, “ but it just felt like we had all this stuff we didn’t need... There were all these extra guitars that didn’t achieve anything or sound all that interesting. It became boring and untenable, so a month out from our next tour we shifted and became an awesome two-some.”

Gaffaney and partner in crime Aaron Tokona are busy boys when they’re up on stage, playing multiple instruments at the same time – but they seem to relish the challenge. “The bottom line is that it’s actually much more exciting for us to be doing it this way,” says Gaffaney. “We’re obviously doing more on stage: Aaron takes care of all the guitars and has added a shitload of pedals to create loops; I play drums with my right hand, which leaves my left free to play some bass parts and fiddle about on the keyboard. It’s been a challenge, figuring out how to create live versions of our songs with two people, but that’s exactly what makes it so fulfilling.”

The sonic territory the two cover on their latest release is quite incredible; when I ask Gaffaney about the amount of conceptual development they undertake, however, he laughs, “I don’t think we have too much consideration for what we should be doing; we like to fly with it, and not fuss too much about attention to detail. We don’t sit about crafting things out: our main concern is ‘does it work?’ If the answer is yes, then we keep trying to

find ways of playing that we haven’t done before. It keeps everything intense, but also really fun.”

Gaffaney and Tokona have just returned a tour that saw them play their new material at South

By Southwest festival. “Texas was incredible,” Gaffaney enthuses. “You play multiple shows each day and it ends up becoming a matter of survival.

Sometimes there’s eight-minute turn-arounds between each band, so we would have to pack our gear up super quick, then lug it on our backs through the streets of Austin to the next venue” – fuelled mostly by meat. “I think every meal in Austin was comprised solely of a solid kilo and a half of ribs,” he says seriously. “I definitely drank some beer, but everything else was ribs and more ribs. You could have one meal there and it would contain all of your calories for a week. Needless to say, when we got back to New Zealand I went vegetarian.”

After their American adventure, Cairo Knife Fight are looking forward to an Australian jaunt – though not entirely sure what to expect. “Last time we toured, we played this venue where a girl came up to me and challenged me to a fight, because she didn’t like my haircut,” Gaffaney recalls. “Her eyes were spinning in different directions, and by the time I politely declined the offer she’d gone off to hassle someone else. She’s welcome to come and check out our new stuff though – I’ve even got a different haircut.”

What: Corpus, Super Best Friends Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Friday April 27 More: II EP out now through Liberation Music

Having toured the nation on numerous occasions in their own right and supported the likes of Yuck and Kurt Vile, StepPanther are finally on the cusp of their first international tour, which will see them play sets at both The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City. So I’m curious to know what the future holds for them, and whether they feel any pressure to stick to any particular sound. “We’re really keen to do something new, but there’s no real pressure to stick to any sound,” Steve says.

“I guess we’re just focusing on bettering our material to keep moving forward. I’m excited to do something new – I’m definitely not over it,” he says chuckling.

With: Bloods, Family Where: FBi Social @ Kings X Hotel When: Saturday April 28 More: Step-Panther out through Speak N Spell

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”

18 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

Spiritualized The Perfect Prescription By Nils Hay

A

fter a gruelling year – homebound, in treatment for liver disease and (when his strength allowed it) working on the seventh album of iconic English spacerock outfit Spiritualized – Jason Pierce has emerged with Sweet Heart Sweet Light.

Renowned for being taciturn and media-shy, a year of near-isolation appears to have provided the frontman with plenty to discuss, as he talks me through a year that saw him alternate between the creation of the new album and his treatment for liver disease.

“It’s like chemo – injections and thirty pills a day,” Pierce explains of the treatment. “For most of the time I didn’t even feel like I was inside my own head while I was making this record, but I knew that I had to make [it]. The alternative was to take time out or to do it on tour, and I’d been told there was no way I could take my treatment if I was travelling.”

With some outside recording sessions – rushed prior to his convalescence – and using his own laptop, Pierce worked on Sweet Heart Sweet Light painstakingly, even if sometimes for just a few hours a week, in his front room.

“What I thought should’ve been as easy a thing as making a pop record that wouldn’t be too far-out turned out to be the most difficult record I’ve ever made,” he confesses. “I had a very understanding engineer who came in at my call,” he adds.

I wanted to make a record that was a very succinct, proper journey [where] all the songs leaned against and supported each other.”

Of course Pierce is not as easy on himself, admitting he wants his own creations to stand alongside the classic records that he loves.

“It’s a weird thing to say,” he concedes. “I don’t think my records are the equal of Brian Wilson’s records, but they’re in the same world.”

As for where exactly Sweet Heart Sweet Light sits in the canon of classic records, Pierce hasn’t yet achieved the necessary distance to make that judgment. “I really don’t know with this one. Usually I just think, ‘Yeah, that’s it, I’ve done it. That’s the end of it.’ I still find it quite astounding when people say they really like it, and a little bit of me has got this feeling that I don’t really know what I’ve made. I haven’t actually listened to it since I got it mastered; one day maybe I’ll get the courage to listen to it again and see if it worked out.”

What: Sweet Heart Sweet Light out now through EMI

Despite his physical condition and the limitations of working away from a studio, Pierce didn’t alter his approach to recording, instead taking advantage of his one luxury: time. “I could’ve gone in and recorded all these songs in a day, on an acoustic, and who knows, it might’ve been a great record – but that’s not the way that I want to make records,” he explains. “I would always be questioning what it could’ve been. I’m a big believer that songs find their shape in the end, and when you’ve got it right, it doesn’t matter how much more you chop them up or throw them to pieces in the air, they will always land in the same place, and that’s kind of what I’m after.”

“What I thought should’ve been as easy a thing as making a pop record that wouldn’t be too far-out turned out to be the most difficult record I’ve ever made.”

Cold Chisel photo by Steve Baccon

Pierce’s approach is also influenced by the music industry around him. “There’s a huge trend now in music – not just from musicians but from fans and journalists – to look back and to repeat the history of music, and quite often the very, very, recent history.” He recalls a 2009 tour where he performed his acclaimed 1997 record Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space in full (a show he also performed in Sydney at Vivid LIVE 2011): “I got a bit of a shock because when we did those live shows – as euphoric and fantastic as they were – a little bit of me felt like I was in the catering industry, just delivering stuff to people who knew exactly what they were going to get, and how those songs were going to make them feel.

“I thought one way of arresting this, the speed at which everyone is looking back, is to try to make new great records,” he offers. Of course, as Pierce knows only too well, greatness is in the eye of the beholder. “Part of me feels that, for all the records that I have that are truly great and truly out there, I also own an awful lot of records that weren’t deemed to be the greatest records in the world, but were truly beautiful collections of songs – and I found myself playing them all the time: I’d get a lift from things like Kill City by Iggy Pop and James Williamson, or Clear Spot by Captain Beefheart, or the 1970s Link Wray albums – they’re not records that reach for the stars, but they were almost like the very substance of rock’n’roll; the backbone, if you like.”

It is this substance that Pierce seeks to inject into his music. “With this album I didn’t want to reach for the stars; I wanted to make a record that was easy for the listener. I wanted to make something you could listen to at any time: in the morning, in the night, you can put it on in the car and it won’t make great demands of you. Even when it got slightly more abstract it’d hold your hand and walk you in there and leave a trail of stones to get out again.

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Chet Faker

Jack Carty

Keeping It Real By Alasdair Duncan

The Heart-breaker By Benjamin Cooper

M

elbourne’s Chet Faker is a scruffy and slightly earnest-looking young man with a beard, but his music is the near-total opposite of what you might expect. His EP, Thinking In Textures, is an exquisite slice of finely-wrought soul and RnB tunes, as imagined through the lens of bedroom electronica. For Faker, melody is the element that trumps all others. “There’s heaps of time to work on a track, but once you’ve got that [melody] you’re committed to it, and you can only do so much,” he explains. “I therefore always try to get the vocal melody down first. My iPhone has a million recordings of me humming them in the car. No matter how well-produced a song might be, if the melody’s not good then it’s not good.”

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hen we sit down for a cheeky beer, Jack Carty is amused at my recalling of his old performing moniker – ‘Jack Carty And The Party’. “That was a name that my drummer at the time came up with,” he laughs, “and it was very much a spur of the moment thing. It was a joke that stuck, but I’ve been trading solely under my own name for almost three years now.”

Those three years have been tumultuous for Carty; originally from Bellingen on NSW’s mid-north coast, he’s gone from local shows to touring his folk-leaning tunes to swathes of interested punters, through multiple visits to America and Canada, and earned high critical praise (including a four-star review from the Sydney Morning Herald) for his debut record, One Thousand Origami Birds.

Carty ascribes a lot of his success and personal satisfaction to his relentless touring schedule. “I haven’t had a permanent base in Sydney for years,” he says, “which is fine, because I’m basically just writing and touring all the time, so I don’t really have time to be set up in any one place for very long. As much as it scared me to throw myself into this kind of life – where I don’t have another job because of my level of involvement with music – it scared me more to realise I might wake up at the age of 45 and think, ‘Fuck, I never gave that a shot’.” He then admits, “But let’s be honest here, it is a pretty great job, and a lot of fun!”

Among the high points of the last three years were the lows; the pursuit and breakdown of a relationship provided much of the material for Carty’s sophomore album, Break Your Own Heart, which features 12 songs that unfold like a narrative, “in pretty much chronological order,” he says. “It is quite a heart-on-sleeve kind of record that I reckon

benefits from having that consistent narrative running through it. The story of where I’ve been hopefully draws people in.”

Break Your Own Heart comes from a markedly different place than Carty’s debut.

“I’m super proud of my first album,” Carty enthuses. “It was the record that allowed me to tour. All that gigging and travelling forced me out of my comfort zone, which in turn probably created a less stable perspective that pushed me forward as a songwriter.

“When it came to making my new album I really wanted to explore various things,” Carty explains. “I wanted to use my voice in different ways by expanding and also focusing my range. I’m the first to admit that this latest one is a fucking sad record, but I think there’s also hope here that wasn’t on Origami Birds, because even though I got a bit broken, there’s an ambition and boldness to what I do now that maybe wasn’t there before.”

It seems that by far the most interesting music today is coming from areas like RnB, house and even pop – as opposed to what you might term ‘indie rock’; when I put this to Faker, he agrees – with some reservations. “I mean, when it comes to bands like The Weeknd, then yeah, I’d definitely agree,” he says. “I grew up in the ‘90s listening to RnB, and I can appreciate how a lot of that influence fed into my music, and maybe a lot of other people’s at the moment. I really love soul music though, and for me, that’s the real inspiration.”

Nevertheless, the centrepiece of Faker’s EP is his cover of Blackstreet’s ‘90s RnB classic ‘No Diggity’, supposedly recorded in one go at the end of a big night out. “Yeah, I got home, I’d had too many Red Bulls and I was just charging,” he chuckles sheepishly. “So I sat down and just bashed that track out. I made the whole instrumental first, which is not what I would usually do. Maybe that’s why it ended up being a cover. I made the track and couldn’t come up with

a vocal melody so I started singing ‘No Diggity’ over the beat and discovered that it really worked, so the whole thing came about like that.”

Faker’s home studio, a garage he converted over a period of several years, is crammed full of vintage gear, an obsession of his. “I have a Wurlitzer from 1968, and a Fender Rhodes from 1973, and those are the staple instruments in terms of the music I make,” he says. The big challenge he’s been working on lately is separating this studio hardware from the hardware in his live show. “I’m terrified I’ll break a lot of my gear if I take it on the road, so I use different stuff in the show,” he explains. “I bring the Wurlitzer on the road with me, though, because I use it in almost every song, and it has such a beautiful sound, I can’t bear to replace it with digital tech.”

The live sound of analogue gear, Faker reckons, is something that can never be replicated. “I remember seeing LCD Soundsystem once, and they used all analogue stuff. In the middle of that show, there was a massive fuck-up – but that’s the risk you take. I mean, producing stuff from home is very easy now, which actually puts pressure on you as a performer, because you feel like you have to produce something of a much higher quality for your live show. The real question is if you are a true artist; if you’re capable of doing this, or if you can’t cut it live.”

With: Flume Where: GoodGod Small Club When: Saturday April 28 More: Thinking In Textures out now via Opulent/Remote Control

Carty is particularly excited to be touring the release with the trio he put together to record the album. “Gus Gardiner from Papa Vs Pretty plays double bass and tracked all the string parts on the record, and I’m also lucky enough to have Sophia Felton playing drums for me. I specifically wanted those two because of their different strengths. Gus is classically trained and has perfect pitch, and Sophia just plays each stroke with real intent and musicality. Now we just need to get out there and take this record to the people.”

With: The Falls, Maples Where: The Vanguard / 42 King St, Newtown When: Thursday April 26 More: Break Your Own Heart out April 27 through Inertia

Stonefield The Power Of Four By Benjamin Cooper their set with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’.

To prepare for the immensity of their Glastonbury appearance, the Findlays played a month-long residency last February at Melbourne’s Tote. For a band on the make, this opportunity was essential in activating the belief that they could conquer the UK, and that they had every right to do so with such seriously massive riffs. The residency was an experience that Findlay describes as “pretty special. Even though we’d been playing together for ages, we just really wanted to nail down our sound in that live space... it was a huge bonus to be able to do it in such an awesome room, that has so much history in the walls and floors.”

T

he four sisters of Stonefield pack so much fury and swagger into their tunes that they occasionally cause a power outage and/or destroy amplifiers. “We’ve never blown up anything on purpose!” clarifies eldest sibling and drummer/vocalist Amy Findlay.

“Sometimes, when we really get moving in a groove, it just happens...”

Hitting Sydney this week as part of their national ‘Bad Reality’ tour, the Victorian sisters will be playing off the back of not just

their new single but also their impossibly fabled rock genesis. After being discovered through triple j’s High School Unearthed program in 2010, the Findlays were asked to perform at the One Movement Music Festival in Perth – where a booker for the UK’s Glastonbury Festival saw them and was so impressed that he booked them for the 2011 lineup. The girls played The John Peel Stage, sharing a bill with luminaries such as The Streets, Battles and DJ Shadow.

Unperturbed, they audaciously closed-out

When we speak, Amy is yawning and a little tired, having just arrived back home after being up all night on the mean streets of Woolloomooloo, shooting the film clip for their new track. The clip is directed by David Barker (Butterfingers, Powderfinger), and Findlay confirms that it contains plenty of very real tension.

“So, we didn’t realise how scary that part of Sydney can be after dark,” she explains.

“Everything was going fine – Dave was getting all the shots he wanted, the exteriors of the houses looked really beautiful; all of a sudden

this big group of about 15 young, fairly muscly guys turned up and started hassling us. It actually got quite scary, because even though they were outnumbered, they had that vibe that suggested that they might totally go nuts at the slightest little thing.”

So did the band whip out their instruments and blast these ne’er-do-wells straight into the harbour? “Oh no!” Findlay laughs. “We just kept smiling and generally being polite and friendly. Eventually the make-up girl talked them into leaving. But having your life saved by the make-up girl isn’t very rock‘n’roll, is it?”

Sydney’s mean streets are a far cry from the family farm where the girls grew up and still rehearse. They practise in a shed that is made half available for rocking out and is half dedicated to storage of farm equipment and animals. Apparently the animals know by now to leave when they see instruments being carried down from the house. “The last time we blew up our PA it got pretty full-on,” Findlay confesses. “It was the fourth time we’d blown up that particular machine, so it was pouring out a lot of black smoke... thankfully mum and dad didn’t find out ‘til much later.”

What: The Delta Riggs, Kingswood Where: The Standard / Taylor Square When: Friday April 27

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BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 21

arts frontline

free stuff email: freestuff@thebrag.com

arts, theatre and film news... what's goin' on around town and more...

five minutes WITH

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hether it’s a 1976 t-shirt with The Clash emblazoned across the front or that 1996 Space Jam t-shirt you wore every day when you were eight years old, everybody has at least one t-shirt they have worn to death yet can’t bear to throw

CHRIS LOUTFY

out. Curator Chris Loutfy can definitely relate: he has over a hundred collector’s items. And he’s not the only one. He’s putting together a t-shirt exhibition called Loved But Not Lost at Glebe’s newest indie art institution The Tate Gallery, to showcase over 50 rare t-shirts loaned for display from some of Sydney’s most enthusiastic collectors.

What’s going to be on display at Loved But Not Lost? You definitely won’t be seeing any mint condition shirts still with the original tags on that have never seen the light of day.

It’s an exhibition of the collectors’ best-loved and most treasured shirts; garments that tell a story about the owner and the experiences with the shirt through wear and tear. The shirts have holes, stains and the print is cracked.

Are you a t-shirt collector yourself? I’m an avid collector of t-shirts, though it was only recently when I started to sort through my overflowing wardrobe and I had to stop counting shirts at 100 that I knew I had a problem. I guess I collect shirts because the bold graphics really capture my imagination, and it’s a really accessible medium to collect and own a piece of artwork that you can wear.

If you buy a framed artwork you can’t wear it around your neck and take it around with you all day.

How did you go about curating the exhibit?

I’ve approached friends who have heaps of rad shirts as well as well known individuals in the fashion field and die hard t-shirt collectors to lend a piece from their archives. I’ve tried to get a diverse range of shirts from different eras, styles and subject matter in the show.

Why do people collect t-shirts? I think the purchasing of the shirt initially is just a pure attraction to the design, or a connection felt with the subject matter, but the collection is where it becomes sentimental. The reason collectors keep shirts long after the time when they cease to be acceptable to wear in public tends to be due to the memories contained within the fibres of the shirt that stops them from throwing them away.

Alex Singh

What’s the most awesome t-shirt you’ve ever seen? A 1994 slayer world tour shirt (pictured), which I got for five dollars about five years ago. It had obviously lived a full life before me judging by its condition but I’ve taken it to the brink of wearability since I got it.

It’s one of my shirts that I could never give up.

What: Loved But Not Lost: An Exhibition Of Rare T-Shirt Graphics Where: The Toxteth Hotel, 345 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe When: Wednesday May 2, 6-9pm

a public space and it has nothing to do with anything and the locals see it and say ‘Oh that’s… interesting,’ and walk away feeling a little embarrassed. And that’s what Tiny Stadiums is NOT all about. Festival directors Groundwork are holding a public conversation with the 2012 Tiny Stadiums artists at Newtown Library (8-10 Brown St) on Tuesday May 1 from 6.30pm. They’re going to talk about place, site and access, and discuss the way that residents interact with public space. It’s a free event, but you should book. cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

ECSTASY! WINNING!

Who doesn’t love ecstasy? You know, the emotion? If it’s the sort of feeling you get after watching good cinema then it might be a neat idea to hit up Ecstasy. You know, the movie. Based on the novel by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) this romantic dark comedy about the highs and lows of chemical romance boasts a soundtrack featuring Tiesto, Coldplay, Orbital and Primal Scream, and is bound to get you buzzing. We’ve got five double passes to deal out to the lucky winners who can tell us the name of the film’s director. So get on it!

MISFITS! DVDS!

Doing community service with the added benefit of superpowers acquired during a strange electrical storm sounds like a fun cheaty way to get ahead in life. But for the Misfits, things aren’t quite that easy due to complications like zombies, time-travel, clairvoyance and overboiled emotions. The third season of this acclaimed BBC sci-fi drama has just hit the shelves on DVD and thanks to Roadshow Entertainment we have three copies up for grabs. To win, just tell us what superpower you wish you had.

– and you are avidly encouraged not to be the odd one out. Novus Ordo – the Star Wars Costuming Alliance of Australia will even make a costumed appearance!!! Also on the day, from 11am-4pm you can head to Artists' Alley to meet and nerd-out with some of our best local comic artists and writers. Level 2, The Galeries, 500 George St. kinokuniya.com/au

INNER WEST FILM FORUM

Artist run initiative Alaska Projects have established a project space in a forgotten mechanic’s office located in the basement of a Kings Cross carpark. As if that isn’t a sight worth seeing on its own, they’re opening two exhibitions this week. First up is multi-talented COFA graduate and go-go dancer Bridie Connell with Kings Cross Affair opening Thursday April 26 from 6pm. She’s paying homage to Kings Cross and its forgotten go-go dancers. Then on Sunday April 29 head down to see Alex Singh’s MA. He’s recently spent some time with Tokyo experimental punk act Trippple Nippples and this is a photographically documented glimpse of their world tour. alaskaprojects.com

SECRET CINEMA

A lot of people are not telling anybody about a secret that everybody knows about not knowing about. So we’re going to let you in on it too. In a mystery inner-city location on May 2, World Movies will screen ???, an award winning film about rebellious youth in modern day ???. Yes, this is Sydney’s first instalment of World Movies Secret Cinema, and if the rumours from their London counterpart are anything to go by, this is going to be one epic immersive theatrical cinema experience. You can expect lavish theming over several levels, sumptuous food and specially designed drinks. The venue will be revealed via text message on the day, and you won't know which film you're watching until you're watching it. Tickets are $25 including a drink upon entry, food throughout the night and an after-party with a live (thank goodness!) DJ. worldmovies.com.au

MONASH UNIVERSITY

Can racism be measured? Is racism related to crime? Is racism related to temperament?

Is racism related to you? (God no!) These are the kinds of questions that Doctoral researcher 22 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

Kaine Grigg from Monash University is trying to answer. Grigg is in the midst of developing a system for measuring racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious acceptance and is currently looking for participants aged 16-20 years from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds to take part in the next stage of research. Participants will complete a short questionnaire about their attitudes towards different racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious groups, and will be asked about their criminal offence history and their temperament. This data will be used to validate the measure, and will show whether racist attitudes are related to crime and to temperament. If you’d like more info, or want to volunteer for the research, get in touch with Kaine at kaine. grigg@monash.edu. Alternatively, just memorise this handy link to reach the survey directly: http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser. aspx?FBDFB3AAFABAAEA8FC Good thing this isn't a print magazine.

TINY STADIUMS 2012

Plop Art is what happens when some arty person designs a sculpture and installs it in

CARAVAN SLAM @ 107

Caravan Slam is what happens when a bunch of nutcases drive their caravans around a dirt pit and try to ram each other in a dodgemcars-meets-sumo-wrestling type competition.

Caravan Slam is also a monthly poetry night, where a herd of local wordsmiths stand up and slam-dunk words into verbal bliss. This month the CS crew have teamed up with Redfern’s newest art space 107 Projects (107 Redfern St) to present a night featuring the return of the Emergency Slam (with the topic ‘bush emergencies’), and some musical shenanigans by the Virgin Slammers. The night could also potentially feature YOU if you’re in the mood for busting out some poetic rhymery. Get ready for it, Wednesday April 25, 7pm. 107projects.org

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

If you notice a few more Akiras and Astro Boys walking (or hovering) down the street than usual on May 1, then OMFG! That’s because it’s Free Comic Book Day. If you head to that Japanese bookstore that everybody loves but nobody can pronounce correctly (Kinokuniya) and ask for a free comic book, they’ll give one to you.

Everyone, including staff, will be in costume

Component

URBAN UPRISING

Can’t afford a house? Well, how about an artwork to cover up one of the walls you don’t own? Urban Uprising has just announced a Gala Auction will be happening at Global Gallery (5 Comber St, Paddington) on Tuesday April 24 from 6pm. Featuring over 120 artworks up for sale from over 70 different major artists, it’s a pretty sweet opportunity to acquire some cultural assets for below-the-belt prices. Included in next week’s auction are artworks from street slickers such as Banksy, Ben Frost, Anthony Lister, Above, Marsha 2026, Heesco, Shannon Crees, Justin Feuerring, Static, Component, K-Guy, Shepard Fairey, Ha Ha, E.L.K., Meggs, Beastman, Adnate, Miss Bugs, Numskull and many more. Other contemporary works up for grabs include iconic artists such as Adam Cullen, Damien Hurst, Charles Blackman, Reg Mombassa, Helmut Newton, Arthur Boyd, Jasper Knight, David Bromley, Zhong Chen and… Renaissance man Chopper Read! Even if you don’t buy, swing in, have a drink and experience the action of the auction. Drinks are from 5pm and the bidding kicks off at 6.30pm. globalgallery.com.au Xxxx

ALASKA PROJECTS

It might be an ‘inconvenient truth’, but you really should head down to Petersham Bowling Club (77 Brighton St) on Tuesday April 24 for the Inner West Film Forum’s 7.30pm screening of last decade’s most provocative and energising enviro film. The Age Of Stupid is a multi-award-winning documentary by director Franny Armstrong (McLibel, Drowned Out) and Oscar-winning producer John Battsek (One Day In September, Restrepo). Together, they crowd-funded the film and spent four years following seven people’s stories around the world to be interweaved with Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite’s fictional character. The film follows an Indian entrepreneur struggling to start a new low-cost airline, a Shell employee in New Orleans who rescued more than 100 people during Hurricane Katrina, an 82-year-old French mountain guide watching his beloved glaciers melt, two Iraqi refugee children searching for their elder brother, a young woman living in desperate poverty in Nigeria’s richest oil area and a wind farm developer in Britain battling the NIMBYs who don’t want his turbines to spoil their view. It’s set in the devastated future world of 2055, where Postlethwaite looks back at old footage from our time and asks: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance? thepbc.org.au

Photo: Chris Herzfeld â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Camlight Productions

Be Your Self

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Xxxx

t first glance, the Sydney Comedy Festival program might make you feel about as dense as a rhinoceros trying its hand (or hoof?) at pub trivia, but don’t worry, that’s what WE’RE here for: to hold your hoofy hand, whisper all the right answers in your ear and send you off on a hilarious roller coaster of giggles, gaggles, guffaws, hollers, hoots and hahas – all of which you can do on your own (or with friends!) because thankfully, you’re not a rhinoceros. Read on to see what cuts feature on this year’s comedy meat tray.

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Ross Noble (UK) Nonsensory Overload

By Alasdair Duncan

A lot of comedians use their routines as a form of therapy, to work through their issues, but Ross Noble is not one of these. I ask the comedian what subject is occupying his mind at the moment, and he tells me that lately, he’s been pre-occupied with earthmoving equipment. “I’m talking about diggers – those big road machines you see,” he tells me enthusiastically. “We keep driving past them on this tour. I absolutely love earthmoving equipment. I recently bought myself an excavator, just so I could dig holes in my garden. We were stopped at some traffic lights just now and there was a massive one moving a big bunch of rocks, and I was thinking, phwoarh, I’d like to be driving that!

There will probably be a lot of unnecessary references to those in my next lot of shows.”

G IV EA W AY S

Noble is one of those rare comedians with no obvious anxiety hang-ups – he just straight up loves what he does. “A lot of comedians are riddled with insecurity, or they’re tortured souls,” he says, “but I’m really delighted to have the sort of job where

Jim Breuer (USA)

I can just think of daft stuff and mooch around and then stand in front of a room of people and make them piss themselves laughing,” he says. He freely admits that his position in comedy is a privileged one, but he has worked to get there. “A lot of people haven’t got the luxury of people who came specifically to see them,” he says, “they’re working in horrible clubs surrounded by pissed-up people. I’m very grateful that I’m working proper venues with dressing rooms so I don’t have to get changed in the toilets – it’s the small things like that.”

There is a good deal of room for improvisation in Noble’s comedy. In fact, he famously goes on stage with no idea of what he wants to say first, and just begins talking, riffing on various audience members, and working himself up into an absurdist frenzy.

I ask if it’s scary performing an unstructured show like this, but he tells me it’s simply second nature. “I always describe it as being like driving,” he says. “You know where you’re going and you know how to get home, and you don’t have to think about every little thing you’re doing. It’s the same with stand-up – after a while, you just get in the car and drive along, looking at the road ahead thinking, okay, let’s go a little bit faster here, or let’s slow it down, let’s take a detour. Sometimes, you can find yourself on the motorway going way too fast and looking for an exit, but that’s one of the risks you run.”

Noble’s routines touch on how his cheeky attitude gets him in trouble with customs officers and the like, and he had a similar experience while on his current tour. “I try and have a laugh as much as possible,” he tells me, “and I tend to be quite flippant.

Sometimes, I’m taking the piss and people don’t realise I’m just being a joker. That can get me into trouble.” This occurred most recently at a hotel Noble visited with his wife.

“We wanted to have dinner, so the guy at the desk told us, ‘we do have a restaurant here, but unfortunately the chef…’ He paused and was about to tell us the chef finished early but I said, ‘what, he’s a bit shit is he?’

[The guy at the desk] didn’t really appreciate that, he thought I was being serious. That happens a lot”.

When: May 7-12, 8pm Where: Enmore Theatre

WIN!

If you’re after an international headliner and have maxed out on all the bad quality YouTube clips your bandwidth can handle, then check out our interviews with stand up veteran and Saturday Night Live alumnus Jim Breuer, or UK motorcycle enthusiast and improv wild guy Ross Noble. If you’re looking for something more localiscious, we’ve picked out Australian physical comedy darling Frank Woodley, master storyteller Lawrence Leung, Good News Week’s Claire Hooper and rock comedy duo Smart Casual. For the full lineup and tickets, see sydneycomedyfest.com.au

Coming Out Swinging

By Alasdair Duncan Jim Breuer was a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the ‘90s, but he traded in Manhattan for life as a suburban dad a long time ago. These days, he resides in the woods of New Jersey, where life is a lot quieter. “In the city, you have to worry about getting mugged or jumped,” he tells me, “but out here, I’m worried about deer coming into my yard and eating my bushes. It’s still a mugging, but it’s a different kind of mugging.”

A father of three, Breuer uses stand-up comedy as an escape, and likens his routine to the kind of thing you’d hear if you were just hanging with him in his garage, talking about the state of the world.

“I’m very disappointed in our education system,” he says, when I ask what’s on his mind at the moment. “They’re shoving history and math down our kids’ throats – nobody uses that ever. I’d love to have classes on what do you do when your parents can’t drive anymore and start going senile and nobody wants to take care of them but you?

What about that as a college course? What about a class on how to raise three girls when you grew up as a crazy, maniac, heavy metal-loving boy? Those would be useful classes.”

On Saturday Night Live, Breuer was known for his signature character Goat Boy – but confesses he doesn’t watch the show anymore. “I’ve gotta be honest, I didn’t watch it before I was on, and I haven’t since,” he says. “To me it’s like, you know, working in a hardware store. I don’t need to go and see who’s still working there, or what new tools they have on display.” In fact, Breuer considers himself out of the loop, as far as comedy is concerned. “I know Louis CK is hot – I can’t tell you why, but he’s hot. Same with whatshisname who married Katy Perry.

If they’re not driving my kids to school, I’m not that interested in what they’re doing.”

Rather than checking out new comedians, Breuer’s biggest love is sports. “I really enjoy having a bunch of guys in my backyard tossing a ball around and almost coming to blows arguing over a foul,” he says.” If I can challenge someone to a game of whiffle ball and just beat them to death, that’s better than anything.”

He may not keep up to date with the NBC line-up or hang out in clubs looking for young talent, but Breuer, with his brusque manner and Jersey attitude, is still a strong comic voice. I ask what we can expect from his upcoming Sydney shows, and he tells me he’ll be taking no prisoners. “Well, I don’t know many of the people who will be playing there – I don’t really know anyone,” he says.

“For me, the biggest thing is that you’re going to be exhausted when my show’s over.

I play to kill. I’m not getting up there to get some polite laughter – when I leave, I want everyone to go ‘holy crap, what was that?’

I’m planning on being the new Tasmanian Devil. I’m coming down there swinging for the fences, and I don’t expect anything less from it.”

When: Wednesday April 25, 8pm Where: Metro Theatre

CAFÉ DE FLORE TICKETS! A

tmospheric, fantastical, tragic and hopeful, Café de Flore chronicles the parallel fates of Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis) a young mother struggling in 1960s Paris, and Antoine (Kevin Parent) a recently divorced DJ living it up in present-day Montreal. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (who did the delightful Young Victoria) this is a love story about people separated by time and place but connected in profound and mysterious ways. And we can connect you in profound and mysterious ways with a double pass to see it at the movies...

IN CINEMAS APRIL 25 Just email freestuff@thebrag.com and tell us which local café you think is the best place to pick up a hottie.

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“Aussie laconic humour is alive and well” THE AGE

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more info: www.laughingstock.com.au BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 25

Claire Hooper

Paul Ayre & David Collins

The Work

By Dylan Behan

In The Air Tonight

By Roslyn Helper

Claire Hooper, best known as a cute and quirky Good News Week team captain, currently calls Sydney home after an inspired comic journey from Perth via Melbourne. A six-time Melbourne International Comedy Festival veteran, she’s bringing her latest outing, The Work, to the Factory Theatre for one night as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival.

It’s 2006, and some officially official science officials have just declassified Pluto as a planet. This particularly sucks for astronauts Xavier and Jared, who have been stuck on a spaceship since 1989 on a secret mission to reach the ‘planet’, with nothing but each other and a collection of Phil Collins’ greatest hits.

What made you want to go to Pluto?

David: No reason.

Paul: His fiancée dumped him.

David: That is not the reason.

Paul: Seems like the reason. The timing was very coincidental.

David: It’s not the reason. Entirely unrelated. I can’t think of a less related thing.

The dimpled but Twitter-less 35 year-old brekkie radio host says her 2012 show was partly inspired by a trip to the Tate Modern in London last year, where she first encountered Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s mindboggling masterwork Sunflower Seeds, consisting of a hundred million porcelain seeds hand-painted by 1600 Chinese artisans.

“I knew nothing about it… I just went, ‘How can something be so ridiculous… What other occupation would be happy with that level of effort for return?’”

The sunflower seeds instead sewed a seed in her mind, about the nature of art in the modern world, a rich comic idea made all the more interesting by the fact she sees both sides of the argument.

“I fit right on the line between getting annoyed at art for being such a pile of wank, and then in the next breath I’ll be defending its right to be completely wanky and adoring it… All any of us are doing metaphorically is painting sunflower seeds and putting them in a giant pile.”

When: Saturday May 5, 7.30pm Where: The Factory Theatre

Felicity Ward

After Lawrence Leung’s housemate found some disturbing and bizarre erotic fan fiction about him on the Internet and proceeded to read the most graphic excerpts out over dinner, a mightily creeped-out Leung decided to write a show about “how we construct stories and how we twist, manipulate and improve or degrade ourselves just to make them sound better.

The presser reads, ‘For a hedgehog to stay warm, it must endure pain through physical contact. For a hedgehog to stay unharmed, it must choose loneliness’. It sounds like a wise omen from an Eastern oracle, but Ward has discovered it is actually an analogy for human intimacy.

rainbows and sunshine, and is looking forward to its Sydney Comedy Festival debut. “Seriously, I’ve never had a show received so well, and that I’ve loved performing it so much.”

When: May 1-5, 7.30pm Where: The Yalumba Wine Bar @ Enmore Theatre

Frank Woodley Bemusement Park

By Dylan Behan

xxx

The most impressive thing about his recent ABC show is the painful-looking physicality involved, but Woodley assures me he never received anything more than a few scratches.

“I pulled a ligament in my pride a few times and I think I tore my dignity a number of times as well… but nothing serious thank goodness.”

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“The fan fiction about me was bizarre, but the audiences who came to my shows in Melbourne found it hilarious,” he says, adding that some people even emailed him their own versions of the fan fiction. “It’s pretty freaky, but in doing a show talking about semi-stalkers and obsessive people, I guess, inadvertently I am advertising for it.”

Leung says the best story he has ever read was actually a Facebook status update. “I once saw a status update of a friend that had the perfect encapsulation of the beginningmiddle-end structure. It read something like: ‘Crashed bike into tree, blood everywhere.

Should call ambulance. Ha!’ It had conflict (crash), tragedy (blood), delirium (ha) and left the audience wondering, ‘Why are you updating your status about calling an ambulance?! Just call an ambulance, you dick!’ Which is what I

‘commented’ under his status… instead of calling him an ambulance.”

For all those literature buffs out there, Beginning Middle End is a mixture between stand up, Powerpoint presentations, sweet stories and surprise twists, as Leung messes around with narrative structure and even digs up some stories “where I’m not the nice guy people often think I am”. He adds, “It’s also just an excuse to have some fun and roll with some LOLs”.

When: May 1-5, 7.30pm Where: The Factory Theatre

Smart Casual

Having made his mark as half of one of Australia’s most beloved comic institutions, this awkward prince of family-friendly physicality has come into his own in 2012. His ABC sitcom Woodley recently won over new fans of all ages, while his new stage show Bemusement Park just finished up a packedout season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Opening with a hilarious Olympic costume contortionist/escape artist routine, Woodley plays to his strengths for the entire hour, mixing accident-prone physicality with songs, personal anecdotes, animal impressions and not too many swear words.

“I love mimicking animals and I wonder if animals enjoy mimicking other animals. So I do a chimpanzee doing a meerkat, and then I do a meerkat doing a chimpanzee. And then I do a lion doing a chicken, then a chicken doing a lion. Then I do chimpanzee doing a meerkat doing a chicken doing a lion – and then my head explodes.”

Where: May 1-20, 8pm Where: Sidetrack Theatre

Beginning, Middle, End

By Roslyn Helper

“The show doesn’t sound very funny,” begins Spicks & Specks alumnus Felicity Ward. “It’s about when I left my fiancée of eight years, stopped drinking alcohol and had to move back in with my Mum”. Perhaps not so funny then, but “very funny now,” she assures me.

Having just toured the show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Ward says it’s been nothing but

After 17 years aboard the spaceship, what do you miss the most?

David: Toilet paper. We didn’t pack enough.

What else did you take for the journey?

Paul: I brought some weights and a collection of Ralph magazines.

David: I brought the complete compilation of the most difficult problems yet to be solved by mankind.

Paul: Yet he forgets the manual for the coffee machine, so we have no idea how to fix it...

David: Surely we can figure it out.

Paul: Go ahead.

David: I’m busy solving chess.

Lawrence Leung

The Hedgehog Dilemma

By Roslyn Helper

She has never seen a hedgehog herself, explaining, “It’s illegal to own them domestically in Australia,” but she identifies with the animal anyway. “I oscillate wildly from the hedgehog that’s willing to get hurt in pursuit of intimacy, to the hedgehog that’s giving the two finger salute to anyone that’s even thinking about coming over,” she says with true-to-form sass.

Why was the mission a secret?

Paul: So that no other country would get there first.

David: There was also the surprise factor. We were hoping that America would get to Mars and be like, ‘Hey, check this out – we made it to Mars, how amazing!’ and we could waltz in and say, ‘Oh, Mars… How quaint’.

Paul: Also, if we fucked up we could just pretend it never happened.

Paul: Gloria Estefan. I imagine she’s still pretty big down there.

David: ...it’s just not a good storage ratio – it’s light, but volume is an issue.

Broken Dreams

By Roslyn Helper Comedy rock duo Smart Casual (aka brothers Nick and Ben Mattick) began making comedy at a very young age. Nick provides an example: “I used to pull Ben’s pants down in front of strangers”. He confesses that their comedy hasn’t developed much since then.

Their Sydney Comedy Festival show, Broken Dreams, is about their tainted Australian dreams of attaining avant-garde rock fame.

Nick explains, “We wanted to be really cool; niche and underground. We wanted to be so avant-garde that we would perform site-specific shows in places like elevators and caves and to a Tarago full of people.

We wanted to be cutting edge. But doing a McDonald’s ad ruined all that”.

Staying in shape has its own difficulties for the physical comedian, as a heavy touring schedule means he’s often working out in random gyms. “I once got a few weird glances from people because I had to practice falling on my back twenty times. I’m sure they thought I was absolutely mad.”

When: May 1-4 / Sat May 5 Where: Seymour Centre / The Concourse

Their solution? Move to Poland of course, “The place where dreams are made of, and musical comedy is rampant!” he enthuses.

“We sing about birth and childhood and a plethora of other broken moments that we and many other people may have experienced in life. We sing and fight throughout the hour and there is also some dance, video and an art tutorial. It’s a bloody crazy romp!”

Where: April 26-28, 9.30pm Where: Sound Lounge @ Seymour Centre

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Arts Snap

Film & Theatre Reviews

At the heart of the arts Where you went last week...

Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

The Lady

■ Film

THE LADY In Cinemas April 19

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weather festival

Aung San Suu Kyi has faced her share of tragedy. Her father, Aung San, a leader who helped liberate Burma from the British, was assassinated when she was just a child and Suu Kyi has spent a total of 15 years under house arrest in her corrupt home country. So it’s fair to say Luc Besson’s new biopic, The Lady, based on her years as a political prisoner, won’t be the worst thing to happen to her, but it is an undeservedly weak telling of one of recent history’s most powerful true stories.

The story picks up in 1988 when Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh) leaves her husband, Dr Michael Aris (David Thewlis) and two children in London to return to Burma to care for her elderly mother. The visit coincides with the aftermath of the violent 8888 Uprising, which saw thousands of Burmese people killed while demonstrating against the country’s socialist regime.

Suu Kyi soon agrees to lead the opposing National League for Democracy and though the party wins at an election in 1990, the military refuses to allow them to take office and Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest.

divergence exhibition

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12:04:12 :: Serial Space :: 33 Wellington St, Chippendale

confession booth

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18:04:12 :: The Tate Gallery :: 345 Glebe Pt Rd, Glebe 9660 2370

11:04:12 :: The Wall @ World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

MIRRORED WHISPERS Tuesday May 1, 6-8pm Frances Keevil Gallery, 28-34 Cross St, Double Bay When Zach Braff stood in front of a leaf-patterned wall, wearing a leaf-patterned shirt in Garden State, everybody thought it was the coolest camouflage moment ever.

Well. Emma Hack has gone one rather large step further and if you saw ‘that’ Gotye video clip, you’ll know what we mean. Hack paints wallpaper patterns onto naked peoples’ bodies so that you can hardly tell where the person ends and the wall begins, and will be exhibiting images from her latest collections at the Frances Keevil Gallery starting May 1. Gotye is even going to come in and sit for a portrait in the exhibition’s first week. So if you want to experience (not) seeing him in the flesh better head to franceskeevilart.com.au for the details.

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Yeoh is technically brilliant, physically embodying Suu Kyi (even perfectly mimicking that signature, persevering smile) and Thewlis is admirable, though bizarrely cast as both Dr Aris and Aris’ older brother. Lacking are flaws in Suu Kyi’s character. She mentions briefly that she occasionally loses her temper, but we never see her lose it, and her husband and children never question her. Dialogue from screenwriter Rebecca Frayn makes it sound like the family speak to each other in scripture. While you shouldn’t need to believe their family operates like your own to empathise with their struggle, their treatment here doesn’t exactly endear you to them.

Besson has a history of directing action adventure, not wordy political struggles, and it shows. Certain elements, such as the comically villainous score whenever General Ne Win appears, burden the film with an unhelpful cartoonish element.

It’s offensive given the subject matter.

Still, The Lady is effective in highlighting Suu Kyi’s cause and the necessity of a democratised Burma. As for the woman herself, you’ll get more of a sense of her by opening a modern history textbook.

Recently elected an MP in Burma, Suu Kyi’s story is still unfolding, so there is still time for a dedicated director to honour her with the honest, inspiring film she deserves.

Peter Taggart ■ Theatre

MACBETH Until May 12 / SOH Drama Theatres The Drama Theatre stage lay waiting impatiently below, bursting to allow the action to trample and muddy its turfed green stage with the tragedy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Anna Cordingley’s confidently minimal design covered a sloped flooring with grass, which was reflected foggily in a mirrored ceiling to produce the illusion of a Scottish moor floating in suspension, as though a chunk of it had been cut from the earth and exported especially. I felt I was in for a treat.

The highly stylised aesthetic was fashionable and seductive, but ultimately detracted from the characters, plot and language intricacies in the text. All the

philosophising that goes on revolves around central themes of ambition, trust and power, but instead I was reminded of Surry Hills hipsters with their skinny jeans and beards-to-boot trudging around a football pitch waiting for zombies to attack whilst speaking to one another in Elizabethan English as though it were a foreign language. The actors didn’t seem to truly grasp the meaning of the language and it felt at times that an invisible omniscient being was playing games with a remote control, fast forwarding some of the best parts and slowing down the rest.

Director Peter Evans did explore physical theatre elements, and he should be commended for initiating this kind of creative ambition in a mainstream environment.

There was also an inherent flavour of experimentation, but there are much better examples of the stylistic experiments this version is derivative of to be found in the Poor Theatre and modern dance of forty years ago – minus the budget.

The synergy of ideas communicated between the choreography, dramaturgy and general mis-en-scene behind Evans’ interpretation was not fully realised, and its fashionably edgy ambiance seemed pretentious. There was one thing, however, that had me riveted and suspended in energy and awe, and that was Kate Mulvany’s performance. Her Lady Macbeth was a palpable manifestation of not only the thematic depths laid down in the premise of the story but also as a living, breathing representative of the human condition – flesh and blood. Her expression of the language in her nuanced delivery was indicative of a special kind of talent, insight, and transcendental beauty.

Saha Jones ■ Film

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE In Cinemas April 5 There’s something disarming about the sight of Sean Penn dressed up like The Cure’s Robert Smith, with teased hair and make-up, dragging a shopping cart behind him. It’s this eccentric image that defines much of the humour and pathos of This Must Be The Place, the decidedly offbeat follow-up to director Paolo Sorrentino’s prize-winning political biopic Il Divo.

With nods to directors like Wenders and Jarmusch, the film is a quirky and contemplative comedy-drama about a man who seems frozen in time, and the road trip (through America, of course) that he has to take to find himself and move on. Penn plays Cheyenne, an aging, mouse-voiced goth rocker now living off his royalties in Dublin with his fire-fighting wife (Frances McDormand), but not really doing anything. He keeps a melancholy vigil at the graves of two suicides who were fans of his music, wanders around shopping malls with a young punk girl (Eve Hewson, aka Bono’s daughter) and visits her lonely mother, whose son has gone missing. Called to New York to visit his dying father, he arrives too late (like Robert Smith, Cheyenne hates flying and travels by boat), and thus decides to complete his dad’s life’s work – finding the concentration camp officer who humiliated him in Auschwitz. So begins the film’s road trip; a strange, beautifully filmed journey where Cheyenne meets, among others, a war widow, a holocaust-denying history teacher, a philosophical gun nut and the inventor of wheeled luggage (played by the wonderfully grizzled Harry Dean Stanton, notably of Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas).

Peppered with mischievously surreal moments, This Must Be The Place is an original and rewarding experience, albeit a lengthy one. Every character layers on another performance highlight, and the dialogue is at turns sharp, moving, understated and archly funny. An added bonus is the soundtrack, complementing the journey with Iggy Pop, Jónsi, new songs by Will Oldham (as performed by Irish singer Michael Brunnock) and some varying renditions of the joyous title track.

Although some might find the film infuriating, especially if they were

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Street Level

Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and the bareboards around town.

expecting a more thrilling Nazi-hunt (as unlikely stalkers of war criminals go, Penn’s Cheyenne has to be at the top of the list), the goal itself is almost an aside to the meandering road taken. Plus it contains a very valuable lesson: don’t laugh at old goths in supermarkets.

With Tim Gibbs

Topher Healy ■ Film

FOOTNOTE

stakes to a level that looks like it will trump any latent feelings of familial loyalty or – Yahweh forbid – love.

In Cinemas April 19 Joseph Cedar made four features of an unequivocally political and military bent (including his international break-out, the award-winning Beaufort) in his native Israel, before writing this darkly comic family drama, which brings the battlefield back into the home – and somehow makes it feel almost as urgent.

Footnote pitches its camp in the Shkolnik family, where patriarch Eliezer and his son Uriel, both scholars working in the field of Ancient Hebrew religious lore (the Talmud) are engaged in a bitter, silent war of generations, philosophies and egos.

Eliezer sees himself as an embattled and unappreciated guardian of the most important kind of knowledge – primary evidence; his life has been dedicated to the kind of painstaking research into the minutiae of Talmudic texts that only a pathological obsessive could enjoy.

Uriel, meanwhile, has found ‘wild’ success and popularity (in the context of, uh, this incredibly hermetic branch of academia) by espousing a more flexible, digestible approach to history – publishing books, giving lectures, and generally bringing Talmudic studies (and himself) to the masses.

The relationship between the two men comes to a head when they both become contenders for the same prize, raising the

Cedar’s alchemy of broad, even physical comedy (there’s a brilliant, Marx Brothersesque scene involving a meeting of too many academics in an office the size of a broom closet), academic satire and family drama is very delicate, and mostly works. I’m not a fan of the highly stylised, self-consciously quirky narrative vignettes that open the film, and I’m even less of a fan of the jaunty score that lets you know YOU’RE WATCHING A COMEDY. The performances are, however, excellent (Shlomo Bar-Aba, who plays the elder Shkolnik, is a popular Israeli comic; Lior Ashkenazi will be remembered by some for his role in Eytan Fox’s Walk On Water), the characters are fascinating and ultimately empathetic (if not likable) and the script is incredibly clever in charting a course to the devastating final shot, which has the effect of an emotional bell tolling in your psyche as you leave the cinema.

Cedar has created an incredibly powerful portrait of the unnecessary and intolerable cruelty that can exist between essentially good people whose personal histories and ideologies circumscribe both their emotional flexibility and their compassion.

What does that remind you of?

Dee Jefferson

im Gibbs has used his talents as a photographer, filmmaker, radio broadcaster, writer and publisher for some of the biggest companies on the planet. Gibbs also has a $12 plastic camera, made in China. As a co-founder of Sydneybased lo-fi photography collective Ludlites, he’ll be exhibiting some of his latest work at their upcoming exhibition Ludlites Love Nature: The World Through A Plastic Lens. It’s part of the Head On Photo Festival and amidst a program full of hightech, sharp-shooting instant imagery, this is sure to be a sight for sore eyes.

T

Footnote

How long have you been taking photographs and what draws you to photography? I’ve been taking photographs since about age five when my mum gave me a Kodak 127 camera to take pictures with while on holiday beside a loch in Scotland.

I still remember one particular shot where I climbed out as far as I could on a fallen log jutting into the water to get the best angle on my subject: the family caravan set under a tree by the edge of the loch. Photography as an art form is my driving passion. My thinking is almost exclusively image based. I’m not so much drawn to photography as propelled ever forwards by it.

What does 'Ludlites' mean? The group name Ludlite is simply a corruption of the principal of Luddites, a group of 19th Century textile workers who actively rebelled against the introduction of mechanical looms, which later became a generic term for people opposed to technology. We’re the same with our celebration of film-based photography and the simple plastic lens. Much like the Luddites who were artisans as opposed to technicians, we consider ourselves, generally, to be ‘photographic artists’ more than simply ‘photographers’.

Tell us about the upcoming exhibition in your own words. Very simply this upcoming exhibition is a photographic celebration of nature as interpreted by each photographer individually.

What approach did you take to exploring

the relationship between nature and the plastic lens? My personal approach was to create images via montage. I shot one roll of medium format film (12 frames) on each subject, focussing completely on trees, all but one being within Centennial Park, and aimed to create a sense of three dimensionality in each montage. There will be two dimensional hand printed montages on highly textured paper as well as one glass print and two multi-layered montages set in glass that allow the viewer to have a completely new experience of this form of photography.

It will be a little more like an installation (hopefully!!) than a traditional photographic display.

What sort of camera did you use to take your photographs? I use a modified Holga 120 CFN, made in China. It’s held together by bits of camera tape as it’s now more than ten years old. It cost me $12, bought by mail order I suspect! It’s the only plastic camera I own and it has been around the world with me, and may well get buried with me.

What: Ludlites Love Nature: The World Through A Plastic Lens When: Opens Sunday April 29 from 2pm Where: The Superintendents Residence @ Paddington Gates, Centennial Park More: ludlites.blogspot.com.au

“ONE OF THE BEST I’VE SEEN THIS YEAR… REMINISCENT OF TERENCE MALICK’S TREE OF LIFE. ” PETER HOWELL, TORONTO STAR

“SIMPLY A BEAUTIFUL, INTRICATE FILM.” GUY DIXON, THE GLOBE AND MAIL

“BRACING, DARING AND ENTIRELY INVIGORATING.” NORMAN WILNER, NOW TORONTO

Featuring music by

PINK FLOYD, SIGUR ROS, THE CURE, NINE INCH NAILS and DINAH WASHINGTON

Xxxx

Dendy Opera Quays, Hoyts Broadway, Cinema Paris, Palace Verona, Roseville Cinema and Cremorne Orpheum

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Album Reviews

What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK SPIRITUALIZED

that Sweet Heart Sweet Light is the least cluttered record in Spiritualized’s canon.

Sweet Heart Sweet Light EMI It’s impossible to divorce Spiritualized’s seventh record from the circumstances in which it was made. Suffering from a degenerative liver disease, frontman Jason Pierce wrote, recorded and produced it while taking a course of experimental medication that played havoc with his wellbeing and mental state.

This is the most realised record Pierce has made since 1997.

It’s a shame he was in such an unpleasant place while making it.

The notion of Pierce making a drug-induced record is not, in itself, notable – this, after all, is the man who, while with Spacemen 3, released the record Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. But the crippling medication Pierce was taking this time around is a far cry from the psychotropic trips in his past. Which is why it’s so surprising

BUCKLEY WARD

OCEANICS

Probed recently by Nightline’s Cynthia McFadden about Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, Madonna curtly replied “It feels . . . reductive”.

Evidently, Madge forgot everything she’d ever learned about philosopher Claude Lévi-Strauss and music theorist Dick Hebdige’s use of the French notion of bricolage, a term that literally translates as ‘do it yourself’ and practically equates to the amalgamation of resources in close proximity to produce something ‘new’.

Jokes about Madonna’s familiarity with bricolage aside, the very real tension here revolves around how to approach something new – let’s say music – that is both undeniably ‘now’ and undeniably influenced by its predecessors. Given Claude and Dick’s assumption that all present innovation comprises unique combinations of past innovation, it seems unwise to follow La Ciccone’s lead and dismiss such material as ‘simply’ reductive.

This brings us to energetic indiepopsters Buckley Ward and their new album So Pretend. Well might a listener say of the Melbourne five piece that “They feel . . . reductive”. Admittedly, So Pretend features a pervasive Real Estate guitar sound (‘Two Strands’), a high enough frequency of electro claps, vocal reverb and backing ‘oohs’ to bring tears to the eyes of Phoenix (‘Status Quo’), Evermore-epic choruses (‘Exes and Ohs’) and uncanny similarity between the lead vocals of Jimmy Allen and Girls’ Christopher Owens. But, like the Queen of Pop misrecognising the work of her potential usurper, a listener issuing such a verdict would fail to see how effectively Buckley Ward integrates elements drawn from disparate sources into cohesive and catchy music that is impressive in its originality and verve.

A highly enjoyable album that does not feel . . . reductive.

Andrew Yorke

Queensland keeps pumping out charming indie-pop starlets, spreading its sweet, summery goodness far and wide. Floating on that good-vibey dance-wave are Oceanics, as shiny and sweet as the next tousle-haired quartet. Sadly, being the same as the next guy isn’t always the best course of action.

The five tracks featured on this, their second EP, seem to assume that jangly guitars are going out of fashion. Single ‘Chinatown (Is Not Newtown)’ is fun – bright and sparkly, brilliant and charming. Flowing with energy, it’s a glorious testament to the potential skill of Oceanics.

Unfortunately, there are four other tracks that surround it, mimicking the same feel (both musically and emotionally), and barely differentiating themselves, even for a moment.

Oceanics have hit upon a formula that works, but not well enough, and not often enough. If every track were as earnest as ‘Chinatown (Is Not Newtown)’, this EP would be a tour-de-force of indie pop. Instead, it’s a half constructed homage to all that’s come before, and the musical maybes of Oceanics’ future.

On the upside, its production can’t be faulted and the songs are never ear-gratingly awful. Totally okay – but not too much more. It’s the difference between buying Tim-Tams and home brand ‘chocolate biscuits’ – essentially the same thing, and initially you don’t notice the difference. But after a couple of bites, your entire being feels tainted and you swear you’ll never buy them again. But you will, and you should – they change the recipe all the time, and there’s a chance they’ll get better. Just like Oceanics.

‘Get What You Deserve’ and ‘Headin’ For The Top Now’ (Pierce’s ninth or tenth ‘I’m Waiting For The

PETER BRODERICK

Bright People EP MGM

So Pretend Shock

Gone are the death-obsessed moans of 2008’s Songs In A&E; the string-drenched bombast of 2001’s Let It Come Down; the everything-ness of 1997’s Ladies and Gentlemen... Instead we find restraint and songcraft. Lead single ‘Hey Jane’ may point towards excess with its nine-minute running time, but it’s a straight-ahead ‘60s-tinged pop number, with a gorgeous breakdown. ’Little Girl’ already sounds like the Top 40 radio staple it will almost certainly never be (the strings belong on a Visconti-produced Bowie or T-Rex record), while the lovely ‘Too Late’ and ‘Life Is A Problem’ show what Pierce can do when utilising both strings and economy.

It Starts Hear Bella Union/ Cooperative Music This is Peter Broderick’s second vocal record, and it appears that he’s already growing tired of the idea of a ‘pop’ album, along with its traditional mediums. Its very title – a bad pun encased in a URL – implores the listener to skip the CD and its luminous packaging entirely and head straight for their browser instead.

What awaits them (besides a painfully gauche introduction video) is a website through which the visitor can stream and explore the album, track by track, for free. It quickly becomes clear why Broderick opted to create a dedicated site for this instead of just dumping the whole thing on Soundcloud. While the music on the record is quite good, it becomes more engrossing having explored the missives, videos and outtakes that illumine each post. The delicate lilt of opener ‘I Am Piano’ seems even more fragile once you drink in the video of its first recording – after watching it, it’s almost as though the piece invites you to take a seat next to Broderick at the piano stool. The cloying romanticism of ‘A Tribute To Our Letter Writing Days’ is sweetened having read the bittersweet recollection of a past lover that accompanies it. The eerily informal croon that opens the sombre ‘Asleep’ only really places its full weight on your shoulders once you understand why it was used.

Broderick’s clear-eyed arrangements illustrate measured post-rock and pristine, romantic folk songs. If there’s a problem with the record, it’s how clean and sweet it sounds – but even this is addressed in the digital footnotes, and in a way that’s at once very funny and chillingly beautiful.

Give them time, they’ll get the recipe right. But right now? Get the real Tim-Tams.

It’s a compelling, if gimmicky, experiment in making pop music personal in new ways. Curiosity piqued? Visit the site.

Alex Watts

Luke Telford

Ekstasis Spunk

There’s something thoroughly, uniquely beautiful about Julia Holter’s voice. It might be the spritely way she enunciates words, paying each vowel its due, like an opera singer might, but it’s also intimate, muted, resigned. It recalls the confessional intervals of Linda Perhacs one minute, and the prescient timbre of Elizabeth Fraser the next. It’s beautiful in the classical sense – alluring and striking, seductive and terrible.

Ekstasis is less ecstatic than last year’s Tragedy. While it’s lighter, it’s no less

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sublime or mercurial. ‘Marienbad’ contains the seeds of a handful of incredible songs in its five-and-a-half minutes. Opening with a somnolent fairground piano, it blooms slowly into waltzing clavinet and pizzicato cello, before rushing blindly into an intense paranoia, with siren-like voices calling through tense harmonic clusters. To close the medley, an exultant Beach Boys-esque canon is offset by a minor-key descent that throws the coda into bittersweet relief.

Part of what’s wonderful about this record is that, despite its otherworldliness and inventive orchestration, you can kind of tell it was recorded cheaply in Holter’s bedroom. The mellotron wash and chilling vocals of ‘Our Sorrows’ are sublime, but the details are gently muffled, like a teenage

THE WEDDING PRESENT Valentina Scopitones/Fuse

Better Alive EP Elefant Traks Despite having been around for over a decade now, The Herd are showing no signs of slowing down. Better Alive offers cuts from the Future Shade Sessions and there is still plenty of the refreshing honesty and the lack of pretence that has kept this crew relevant in the burgeoning Aussie hip hop scene.

‘Under Pressure’, originally released on 2005’s The Sun Never Sets and given a new edge in the ‘repressured’ version here, is just as beautifully poignant now as it was back then, and its inclusion is a nice nostalgic touch for the uninitiated.

'Darkened Paradise' is a sultry number that takes you to a cigarsmoke- laced, mojito-soaked bar somewhere in Havana, and a Latintinged refrain keeps things fresh. The beat is a welcome change from the womps and wobbles that seem to be creeping into hip hop lately. Although the Sietta remix of ‘A Thousand Lives’ gives it an interesting new bassinflection, this complements the track rather than overtaking it. ‘Same Song’, meanwhile, is tactfully disdainful of the bastardisation of hip hop but makes its point with an admonishing edge.

Title track ‘Better Alive’, featuring Elefant Traks labelmates Thundamentals and Sky High (and written in the wake of Ozi Batla’s bike accident), is the strongest point on the EP; hopelessly catchy, it blends the grunt of Thundamentals and the ferocious snarl of Sky High with the effortless style of The Herd collective.

There’s nothing particularly gamechanging here, but The Herd make music that they like to listen to – and that’s why we keep coming back for more.

Marissa Demetriou

demo. The tumbling percussion and freewheeling saxophone of ‘This Is Ekstasis’ invokes Alice Coltrane, but is precariously pieced together with cheap drum machines and plasticky keyboards. On inspection, the trumpets shooting sparks across the last section of ‘Marienbad’ are just Holter, mimicking the horn by blowing melodically through pursed lips. Rather than sabotage the revelry of its songs, these details make the record infinitely more personal and welcoming.

An album at once inventive and accessible, boldly strange and intimate.

We need more pop musicians like Julia Holter.

Luke Telford

Nathan Jolly

THE HERD

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK JULIA HOLTER

Man’ re-write, at a rough count) are the closest Spiritualized get to the unhinged free-form noise of old. But even these moments are couched in tight arrangements and smothered in treacle.

It was once said of The Velvet Underground that only twenty people ever saw them play live, but each of those twenty subsequently formed the most significant bands of the next decade. The Wedding Present may not be as influential as Lou Reed, John Cale and co., but if you trace Britpop, post-punk or even the ghastly term ‘indie’ back to their roots, you will find The Wedding Present looming large.

It’s amazing how little has changed since their 1987 debut. Singersongwriter David Gedge’s narrative voice has long been the cornerstone of the band’s sound, and much like Morrissey, he has an extraordinary ability to make the mundanity of English life seem momentous and hugely affecting. His lyrics shouldn’t carry as much emotion as they do, but some strange alchemy in Gedge’s voice forces you to care.

But Gedge’s everyman, unpolished vocals would get tiresome very quickly were it not for the band behind him.

Graeme Ramsay’s guitars sound fucking great – from gently strummed lead lines establishing the mood, to layers of power and heft that rip through tracks (often traversing these extremes in the same song). Charles Layton’s drums are damn near perfect, with lightning-quick fills and a propulsive energy. By the end of ‘Deer Caught In The Headlights’ you actually feel sorry for his snare. But this is a band that is more than the sum of its parts, and tracks like ‘Mystery Date’ are a real treat for anyone who still believes in the power of a real, honest-to-god rock ’n’ roll band.

There’s no doubt this is more of the same. But when The Wedding Present are this good at what they do, why would you ever want them to stop?

Hugh Robertson

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...

METRIC - Fantasies ROYAL HEADACHE - s/t MOUNT KIMBIE - Crooks & Lovers

VARIOUS - (More) Housework Songs BEASTIE BOYS - Paul's Boutique

live reviews What we've been to see...

MACEO PARKER The Basement Saturday April 14

The Basement was packed wall-towall to see this old-timey funkmaster, and it didn’t take long to see why. The band quickly settled into a groove, led with effortless style by keyboardist Will Boulware. When we’d been waiting just long enough, the man himself, Maceo Parker, took centre stage, sporting rockstar shades and his tenor sax, and kicking off the party with ‘Funky Fiesta’.

Parker is quite possibly the funkiest saxophone player in the world and got his break playing with James Brown back in the 1960s. On stage 50 years later, you can still see that influence embedded deep within Parker’s moves.

SUPAFEST

ANZ Stadium Sunday April 15 Hip hop has a big place in mainstream culture these days, thanks to tumblr, Odd Future, YMCMB and basketball singlets.

The extent of this influence amongst teens was something to behold at Supafest – signified by a distinct lack of beer queues.

Naughty By Nature were the cheesy nostalgic crowd-pleasers that everyone wanted them to be, rocking ‘Aussie By Nature’ t-shirts, and breaking up their set with intermittent Australian homages – notably Men At Work samples and chants of ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!’ Lupe Fiasco took to the stage flanked by a DJ and a ghost rapper, all three of them wearing Chicago Bulls singlets.

With grown-out dreadlocks and a massive gold chain, it was a departure from his suit+orchestra+Enmore tour in 2012, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Ripping through ‘Kick Push’, ‘Superstar’, his verse on Kanye’s ‘Touch The Sky’ and a select few off Lasers, his set was full of energy and probably deserved a later timeslot.

Kelly Rowland strode out all afro and legs and pastel green blazer, launching into her own brand of sassy dance/soul to audible audience satisfaction, before touching on the songs she was known for. The fickle crowd were getting a little restless, until she gave a knowing wink as the intro to her and Nelly’s love jam ‘Dilemma’ came on. Backing that up with a stellar Destiny’s Child medley and her collab with David Guetta on ‘When Love Takes Over’, she put a whole lotta love into her performance.

Beyoncé who?

Ice Cube was one of the more underappreciated acts of the day: while ‘Check Yo Self’ and ‘Go To Church’ were ballsy as fuck, the rest of his set seemed to fall on the deaf ears of a mostly underage crowd. Same can’t be said for Ludacris though, who knew

exactly who he was performing to and what they wanted to hear.

The decision to play more of his cameos on other people’s songs (Usher’s ‘Yeah’, Taio Cruz’s ‘Break Your Heart’, DJ Khaled's ‘All I Do Is Win’, etc) than delve into his own discography paid dividends with the crowd.

He retained some artistic integrity by rounding off his set with some old school Luda, closing with ‘Move Bitch’.

Funk often runs a fine line between cool and corny, and Parker certainly hammed up the showmanship. Following their second tune ‘The Funk Is Off The Hook’, the band flash-froze for about 30 seconds, drawing hoots and laughs from the crowd. “Here’s a sample of what we

don’t play,” Parker then joked, as his band launched into a freewheeling jazz ballad, ending on a sultry blue note. What Parker was really saying is, ‘We could play jazz if we wanted to, because we’re amazing; but that’s not what we’re about’. No, Maceo Parker is solely about the funk, a genre he has helped invent and define.

His band proved virtuosic in their own right, with a rattling guitar solo by Bruno Speight who shredded his electric for a jaw-dropping ten minutes before pulling back and slipping up on a simple threenote riff, for which he took a humble bow.

Trumpet player Lee Hogans blended in seamless harmony with Parker’s searing horn hits in ‘Make It Funky’, though it would have been nice to hear more of backing vocalist Martha High.

Needless to say, this was Parker’s night, and his gritty, percussive style cut grooves into the soles of our shoes so that by the end, even those seated at dining tables had jumped up and were jiving and chanting to ‘Pass The Peas’.

Roslyn Helper

Trey Songz was an absolute hit with the girls, but a narcissistic performance that was based around pre-song monologues, and the relentless removal of clothing tarnished any effect that his melismacentric show had on me. Luckily, the coolest fatty in hip hop, T-Pain, was there to liven things up. I didn’t realise how many fucking brilliant songs he’s released until this set. The party didn’t let up, climaxing in a huge rendition of ‘All I Do Is Win’ (most played song of the day), with the entirety of the crowd screaming “HANDS GO UP… AND THEY STAY THERE!” Despite his much-publicised lack of respect or regard for women, Chris Brown had every single girl in ANZ Stadium positively frothing. Mixing it up between his smoother old stuff (‘Run It’, ‘Yo (Excuse Me Miss)’ and ‘Forever’) and the more club-friendly material from F.A.M.E and Fortune, he had the crowd wrapped around his little finger.

With pyrotechnics, gunshot sounds and a ten-minute costume change that involved him getting into a new singlet and different snapback, it was every bit the headline performance the crowd came to see.

The ‘largest urban music festival in Australia’ is kinda one of the only urban music festival in Australia, and this year’s event has been marred by many a controversy; but as Naughty By Nature’s Vin Rock said, “Today is not about who the fuck didn’t show up – it’s about who the fuck is here right now, bitches.”

Rach Seneviratne

TUMBLEWEED, THE TREATMENT, CABINS Annandale Hotel Saturday April 14

Cabins use their opening slot as an opportunity to test out some new songs ahead of the release of their second album. The newer material seems to have moved away from Bright Victory’s territory and into a harder sound more their own making – rather than just the sum of their record collections.

The band’s makeover of Edwyn Collins’ hit ‘A Girl Like You’ takes it away from the suave Northern soul stomp of the original and into a much dirtier and distorted realm.

A relatively new band on the scene, The Treatment is a Detroit-indebted highenergy psychedelic punk-rock tour de force.

Their twin guitar attack is a heady mix of power and panache. Driving the whole thing is the unmistakable drumming of Russell Hopkinson (of You Am I infamy).

The raucousness of the band’s music gives Hopkinson an opportunity to show some of his most impressive freakbeat chops – to great effect, both musically and visually.

OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY

MAR

Countless bands have reunited in the last couple of years in the name of nostalgia (and some quick coin) but few reunions seem to have been as redemptive as Tumbleweed’s. It seems like the reunion of these five men means more than

remembering halcyon days; more than two years after first getting back together, they’re clearly still enjoying being a band again – and what’s more, they have an album on the way.

They play a steamrolling set of heavy rock gems (it would have seemed wrong to do a slow song, it was just that kind of night), including pulverising versions of ‘Sundial’, ‘Hang Around’ and the eternally brilliant ‘Daddy Long Legs’. The couple of new tracks previewed continued on in a similar heavy, chunky-riffed vein.

This is a tighter, more cohesive unit than when they first got back together.

By night’s end, a nice little moshpit is bouncing in unison up the front and a couple of crowd surfers get flung around like the people under them aren’t quite sure what to do with them. The relentless heaviness is entrancing. When Tumbleweed finish it takes a couple of moments to snap back out of the shellshock. No doubt a lot of ears were ringing and necks were sore the next day.

Michael Hartt HANA

ROU OUR PHOTOGRAPHER :: ROSETTE

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the wedding present

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up all night out all week . . .

It’s called: Kittens It sounds like: Skittle-vodka-fuelled indie mayhem.

Who’s playing: Purple Sneakers DJs, The Bright Young Things, Ginger & Drum, Louis London, The Khanz, Kittens DJs. Three Songs you’ll hear on the night: San Cisco – ‘Awkward’; The Black Keys – ‘Lonely Boy’; Kaiser Chiefs – ‘I Predict A Riot’.

And one you definitely won’t: Foster The People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ (Done to death!)

Sell it to us: Adding to the allure of indie anthems, Skittle-infused vodka and chalkboards, Bundaberg 5 will be giving away drinks all night, along with a menu of $5 rum cocktails. No man, woman or kitten will leave the premises sober.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Being interviewed in a bathroom stall for the Kittens’ video series Stop, Play... Paws.

Crowd specs: Band-loving Burmese, purring party Persians, and trashbag tabbies.

Wallet damage: $10 entry (or $5 if you use a host name) qbar.iwannaticket.com.au Where: Spectrum and 34B / 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst When: Saturday April 28, 8pm

underlights

13:04:12 :: The Standard:: Level 3/383 Bourke St Surry Hills 9331 3100

royal chant

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party profile

kittens

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13:04:12 :: The Annandale Hotel :: 17 Parramatta Rd Annandale 9550 1078

13:04:12 :: Metro Theatre:: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: RASA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA :: MUN IEL DAN :: S :: ASHLEY MAR JUSKEVICIUTE :: SAM GEORGE TIM WHITNEY

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jubilants

PICS :: RJ

bluejuice

PICS :: RJ

14:04:12 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 9332 3711

14:04:12 :: FBi Social @Kings Cross Hotel :: L2 244 - 248 William St Kings Cross

snap sn ap Remedy

up all night out all week . . .

More than The Cure since 1989 with Murray Engleheart

AZTEC REBORN

There might well be some light at the end of the tunnel following the sad demise of Oz rock reissue label Aztec Music. Word is that Ted Lethborg from the company is looking to start his own label, called Sunbury Records.

Godspeed.

VALE LEVON HELM

It has just been announced that The Band’s Levon Helm – the drummer with the smallest kit and biggest sense of swing, and who could sing his arse off while delivering said groove – entered the final stages of his battle with cancer and passed away on Thursday April 19, aged 71. Very sad.

bleeding knees club

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THE AUS ROCKS

13:04:12 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 93323711

When New York Doll Arthur Kane passed away several years back, it was conservative newspaper The Australian, of all places, that gave almost a full page to the moment.

Last week, for some reason, they gave half a page to the subject of Finnish metal – specifically, the still-very-much-alive former Hanoi Rock frontman Michael Monroe, and his influence on Guns N’ Roses. Not that we’re complaining. More curious than The Australian covering such things was the fact that the piece was first published in that noted rock bible The Wall Street Journal.

commodity (particularly these days); it must be preserved and where possible, enhanced.

With that in mind, our publicity plan would have run along the following lines: get the entire original band to talk up how much they dislike each other in the lead up to the event, then have them turn up very drunk on the night and talk more 'hate' on the way in, with maybe some light pushing and shoving.

Next, have them curse at length during their acceptance speeches, power through searing and far-too-loud versions of ‘Paradise City’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ and ‘Night Train’, and then smash up the gear, curse some more and stalk off, vowing never to speak to each other again. Everyone (including Axl) would have won – and man, what a statement that would have been. Certainly something that would have kept the bad-boy candle burning at both ends for another few decades and hopefully inspire a host of new acts. Hell, we would have done it for pretty cheap too!

HALL OF FAME: PART 2

Still on the Hall Of Fame: while it was a crying shame that Rod Stewart was unable to get up with The Faces, it was very, very cool to have ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill induct Freddie King, who was by far the baddest and most intimidating of all the blues kings.

SABBATH SHOWS

CREEDENCE

So, John Fogerty is doing an album of Creedence songs with a host of special guests, eh? While the project involves folks we respect greatly, like Bob Seger and My Morning Jacket, it begs the question – why one of the greatest songwriters of the last century needs anyone’s help to do anything? Why not get a producer like, say, T-Bone Burnett, and do a back-to-theroots type of exercise, as Buddy Guy did so commandingly with Sweet Tea? A cure must be found for the insecurity disease that makes the masters think they can’t cut it any longer without the help of the hip neighbourhood kids. Hopefully Carlos Santana won’t be involved in this one.

GUNS N’ PANSIES

So Axl Rose didn’t show up at or want any part in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction for Guns N’ Roses, eh? Pity.

The bigger shame we reckon, was that the members who did show up diluted their whole thing by performing with Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy. Now, we have no doubt that Kennedy is a good guy and decent singer, but that isn’t the central concern here. It’s all about mystique, and that’s such a valuable

And then there were two. Just two, it seems.

Partially-reunited Black Sabbath shows, that is: one at the Download Festival in the UK in June and then a headline spot in Lollapalooza in Chicago in August, alongside the Chili Peppers, a reunited At The Drive In, and the now-huge (and touring Australia in October, it seems) Black Keys, among others, which means that the Sabs will be buried under the weight and popularity of bands many times (and in so many ways) their lesser and junior. What we wonder is if the Sabs are still getting the $100 million zillion or whatever it was for getting back together and touring the world?

COOPER #2

Further to last week’s item about former Alice Cooper band bassist Dennis Dunaway doing a book: another tome on Alice will be out in June. Titled Welcome To My Nightmare: The Story Of Alice Cooper, it sounds pretty interesting, featuring interviews with folks like Cooper’s early mentor and supporter, the late Frank Zappa, members of The Damned and The Cramps, and Alice band-members Michael Bruce, Neil Smith and the late Glenn Buxton.

ON THE TURNTABLE PICS :: AM

cold chisel

On the Remedy turntable is Ash Ra Tempel’s newly-remastered self-titled effort, which boasts just two tracks – a pair of 20-something-minute guitar work-outs that were the blueprint for the likes of Gone and Earthless. Early on, these guys were the odd ones out in the krautrock catalogue; where Can was all about rhythm and Amon Düül about Lord-knows-what, Ash Ra had roots deep in rock power-trio land, with a heady injection of galaxy tripping thrown in. Impressive stuff.

18:04:12 :: Hordern Pavilion :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 8117 6700

TOURING NEWS New York garage super-rockers The Fleshtones are not only part of the Hoodoo Gurus’ wonderful Invitational but are also doing their own show. “The Fleshtones play music as if their lives depend on it,” reckons the Gurus’ Dave Faulkner, “and they’re still showing the rest of the world how it’s done.” They’ll be showing exactly how on April 24 at the Sandringham.

neighbourhood watch

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With his first two Sydney shows already sold out and limited tickets remaining for a third on April 27, there’ll now be a fourth and final Sydney talking performance by Henry Rollins on April 28 at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre. Joining him is the excellent local comic Bruce Griffiths.

rounding out the evening. Doors open 8pm, entry is $10.

We’re liking the feel of The Strangers, whose ‘Bred For Breeding’ seems to sum up their brawly rock thing pretty nicely.

Recently signed to Shock’s new imprint, Permanent Records, their debut album is due in July. In the meantime, they’ll be doing some dates with Calling All Cars on May 3 at the Transit Bar in Canberra and May 4 at the Annandale.

Henry Rollins

Meel – two members of Sydney extreme -metallers Mother Eel – are donating their share of the entry fee to the April 28 show at Katoomba’s Gearins Hotel to Autism Spectrum Australia, along with all profits from sales of their 7” vinyl, CDs and shirts on the night. Also on the very metal bill are Newcastle’s Grannyfist, Lithgow’s Festering Drippage as well as Larry Leadfoot and Infested Entrails

12:04:12 :: The Standard:: Level 3/383 Bourke St Surry Hills 9331 3100 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: RASA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA :: MUN IEL DAN :: S :: ASHLEY MAR JUSKEVICIUTE :: SAM GEORGE TIM WHITNEY

Send stuff to remedy@ozemail.com.au by 6pm Wednesdays.

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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week

FRI & SAT APRIL 27-28

Jinja Safari

Belford, Hunter Valley

The Gum Ball 2012 Custard, Jinja Safari, Ash Grunwald feat.

Vika & Linda Bull, Mat McHugh (The Beautiful Girls), Wagons, Front End Loader, Sietta, The Tongue, Benjalu, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, Kim Churchill, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, The Delta Riggs, The Bakery, Roesy, Silent Disco, Massy Ferguson, The Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Eucalypso, The Joe Kings, Two Rivers Blues.

Weekend pass incl. two nights camping $165+bf www.thegumball.com.au MONDAY APRIL 23 ROCK & POP

Angie Dean Castle Hill RSL Club free 6.30pm Cambo The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Fastrack Zodiac The Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney free 10pm Stephanie Jansen, Coopers Run (NZ) Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $20 6.30pm

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Unherd Open Mic Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm

JAZZ

Ian Blakeney Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm Monday Jam: Danny G Felix The Lansdowne, Broadway free 9pm Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay $10 (+ bf) 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Brian Campeau 505 Venue, Surry Hills $10 8.30pm Russell Neal, Jake Bennett,

Morgan Joanel, Martin Oldfield Brass Monkey, Cronulla $15.30 7pm Brad Johns Dee Why Hotel free 10pm The Bravados Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville free 9pm Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Blackbear, Frank Sultana Annandale Hotel $15 (+ bf) 8pm Bushwackers Empire Hotel, Annandale $15 (conc)–$20 8pm Dave White Experience The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free Deathly Departed: Dragon, Mark Wilkinson The Standard, Surry Hills $20 (+ bf) 8pm Drive: Peter Northcote, Brydon Stace, Virginia Lillye Bridge Hotel, Rozelle $15 8pm The Fleshtones (USA), Steve Wynn The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $36 (+ bf) 8pm Jamie Lindsay Northies, Cronulla free 8pm Juan Luis Guerra Sydney Olympic Park 8pm Lawrence Baker Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany free 7pm Moonshakes: Cabaret Callado, Fox, Bad Jeep The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9pm Musos Jam Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt free 8pm Natasha Stuart Blue Beat Bar & Grill, Double Bay 8pm Redd Kross (USA), Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Bloods Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $44 (+ bf) 8pm Rob Henry The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 8.30pm Seattle Sound Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 9pm SFX ANZAC Day Eve Party: Buried In Verona, Pledge This!, Hearts Like Wolves, Caulfield, BZurk, Absynth, Amy, Trash DJs, MarkM, Snowflake St James Hotel, Sydney $15$20 9pm The Songwriter Sessions Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 7.30pm Sosueme 5th Bday: YesYou, Alison Wonderland, Sosueme DJs, Joyride, Elizabeth Rose, Brendan MacLean, Furnace & The Fundamentals, Starjumps, Block Nes Monsters Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 6pm Steve Tonge Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm They Call Me Bruce Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 8.30pm Thunderstruck – AC/DC Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills free 10pm We Only Come Out At Night:

Deez Nuts, Relentless, Aftermath, Asura, Hot Damn DJs Spectrum, Darlinghurst $15– $25 8pm

JAZZ

Jazzgroove: Mike Gibbs Orchestra, Darren Heinrich & The B Team 505 Club, Surry Hills $8 (conc)–$15 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm Shane Flew Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm The World In The Basement: Carlotta Charlie Centanni, Jason Bruer, Maz Mazak The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf) 8pm

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25 ROCK & POP

Afro Nomads Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney free 9pm ANZAC Day at The Annandale: Spurs For Jesus, Handsome Young Strangers Annandale Hotel $10 12pm Ben Finn’s 2 Up Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 12pm Billy & I Dee Why Hotel free 2pm Cambo, Carl Fidler, Rob Henry, Steve Tonge The Observer Hotel, The Rocks free 1pm Dave White + Luke Dixon Kirribilli Hotel free 6pm The Fabergettes Bank Hotel, Newtown free 6pm Frank Sultana Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Handpicked Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 12pm Jonny Rock Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill free 6pm Mandi Jarry Summer Hill Hotel free 3pm Mark Broughton Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 7am Matt Jones Duo Castle Hill Tavern free 1pm Mickey Pye Parramatta RSL free 3pm Muddy Feet Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 3pm Pod Brothers Ettamogah Pub, Kellyville free 12pm Prevailing Disorder, Nudist Colonies Of The World, Matty Effin Morrison, Pawn Magz, Excitebike Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Sam Joole Duo Dee Why Hotel free 6pm The Snowdroppers, Steve Smyth Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm

Clay & Kelly, Eva-Maria Hess Kelly’s On King, Newtown free 7pm

TUESDAY APRIL 24 ROCK & POP

Adam Pringle and Friends Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm Alex Hallahan & The Woodland Hunters Low 302, Darlinghurst free 8pm Blind River Running,

An Horse

Steve Tonge O’Malley’s Hotel, Darlinghurst free 9.30pm Van She, Made In Japan, Swimwear Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm Zoltan Cabravale Diggers, Canley Vale free 12pm Zoltan PJ Gallagher’s Parramatta free 7pm

JAZZ

Lucy Ciarla Quartet The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Acoustic Cravings Duo The Belvedere Hotel free 3pm Daniel Hopkins Taren Point Hotel free 7pm Greg Sita, Kyle Dessant & Chris Inada Cookies Lounge and Bar, North Strathfield free 8pm Michelle Madden, Andy Golledge, Sim Shame, Adam Blacksmith Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 7.45pm Russell Neal, Clay & Kelly Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Balmain free 6.30pm TAOS, John Chesher, Gavin Fitzgerald, Mai-anne, Chris Fitzgerald Caoch & Horses Hotel, Randwick free 7pm

THURSDAY APRIL 26 ROCK & POP

Berlin Wallflower, Shed Muzak, Elisha Keen, Rob Ephraums Annandale Hotel $10 8pm Bombora! Feat. Martin Cilia, The Atom Bombs, DJ Blackbear, Wolf Call DJs GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $10 (+ bf) 8.30pm Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Iluka Hotel Steyne, Manly 8pm Burt Bacharach (USA) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $109–$189 8pm Cascade, Neon Heart Landsdowne Hotel, Darlington free 8.30pm Helpful Kitchen Gods, Call To Colour, Red Zora, Beast & Flood Valve Bar, Tempe free 6pm Hot Damn! Full Moon UV Party: Sound Of Seasons, Ghosts On Broadway, Baby Grand, We Saved The Party, Far Away Stables, Hot Damn DJs Spectrum / Q Bar, Darlinghurst $15-$20 8pm Jack Carty, The Falls, Maples The Vanguard, Newtown $18.80 8pm Jonhathan Devoy Deownstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 8pm A Night On The Town With Oxford Art Factory: March Of The Real Fly, Hey Geronimo, Pear Shape, The Jeff Chinky Fan Club, The Owls Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Open Mic Night Petersham Bowling Club free 7pm Pseudo Echo Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $25 (+ bf) 8pm Radio Ink, Die For You Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Rob Henry Harbord Beach Hotel free 7pm Royal Chant, The Pretty Littles, DeathSquare

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Royal Chant

FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel free 8pm Sirens Swing Band Macquarie Hotel, Sydney free 8pm Snakeface, Joseph Liddy & the Skeleton Horse, I.I Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Sons of Havoc, Rock Circus, Nothing But Jam Sydney Livehouse, Lewisham Hotel 8pm Suzie Higgie & Conway Savage, Starling Brass Monkey, Cronulla $23.50 7pm Transvaal Diamond Syndicate Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt $8 7.30pm Vultures: Grass Taylor The Lansdowne, Broadway free 9pm The Woohoo Revue present: The Moreland’s Ball Vault 146 Restaurant, Windsor $23.50 7pm

JAZZ

Chasing The Moon, Jan Preston Camelot Lounge, Marricville $15 7pm Jack Walton The Harbour View Hotel free 8pm Lionel Robinson Dee Why Hotel free 6.30pm Mucho Mambo 505 Club, Surry Hills $10 (conc)–$15 8.30pm Parisian Rendez Vous The Basement, Circular Quay 8pm Sax In The City: Jeremy Rose and Friends The Spice Cellar, Sydney free 6pm Tristano, Marsh-Konitz Project, Mike Nock Trio The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Chippendale 8pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK Helmut Uhlmann Mars Hill Café, Parramatta 7.30pm Matt Toms The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 8.30pm Russell Neal Kogarah Hotel free 7pm

FRIDAY APRIL 27 ROCK &POP

2 Of Hearts Revesby Workers Club free 9pm Bang Shang a Lang Club Cronulla 8pm Big Scary, Geoffrey O’Connor, Mosman Alder Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Black Diamond Hearts, Kitsch78 Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Bondi Cigars The Vault 146 Restaurant, Windsor $20.40 7pm Burt Bacharach (USA) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $109–$189 8pm Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Corpus, Super Best Friends GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $10 (+ bf) 7.45pm

Dan Lawrence Harbord Beach Hotel free 8pm Dialectrix, Ellesquire, Rainman, Calaski Annandale Hotel $12 (+ bf) 8pm Dividers (UK), Easy Company, Marky Jane Kelly, Homeward Bound, Empra, DJ Pawnography The Lansdowne, Broadway free 8pm Emily Barker Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why 8pm The Exploited (UK), Chainsaw Hookers, Skinpin, Topnovil Manning Bar, Sydney University, Camperdown $45.05-$53 (+ bf) 8pm Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, Kool Thing, Jordan Millar Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 7pm The Flood, Nick Charles, Kristen Adams The Manly Fig $12 (student)–$15 7.30pm Floyd Vincent & The Childbrides, Nativosoul The Basement, Circular Quay $20 (+ bf) 8pm Ghastly Spats, JuliaWhy?, King Tears Mortuary, Beef Jerk Black Wire Records, Annandale $5 8pm Grass Taylor, Cisco Rose, Thom Crawford The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe $10 (+ bf) 8pm The Gum Ball (Apr 27-28) Custard, Jinja Safari, Ash Grunwald feat. Vika & Linda Bull, Mat McHugh (The Beautiful Girls), Wagons, Front End Loader, Sietta, The Tongue, Benjalu, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, Kim Churchill, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, The Delta Riggs, The Bakery, Roesy, Silent Disco, Massy Ferguson, The Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Eucalypso, The Joe Kings, Two Rivers Blues $165+bf (weekend pass) Gypsies & Gentlemen, Shadows At Play, 11:11, Generation Jack Sydney Livehouse, Lewisham Hotel 8pm Halfway, We All Want To, Nick Barker Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory free 8pm Jimmy Bear Great Southern Hotel, Sydney free 9.30pm Jive Bombers Eastern Suburbs Legion Club, Waverley free 8pm John Butler, Felicity Groom Metro Theatre, Sydney $55 8pm sold out Kade & The Karneez feat.

DJ Skae, The Phonies, Anecdote, Deadbeat & Hazy, Common Ground The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 8pm Kooii The Mac, Surry Hills free 8pm Made In Japan, The Salvadors, Jubilants, Pear Shape FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Mic Conway’s National Junk Band, The Rusty Spring Syncopators Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $15-$25 7.30pm all-ages

Movement: Guerre Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach free 8pm MUM: 1929indian, MUM DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross $10-$15 8pm Pat Capocci Combo Town Hall Hotel, Newtown free 9pm Portland, Limited Head Space, Stegga Valve Bar, Tempe 7pm Ralph McTell (UK) Balmain Town Hall $55 8pm Rogers Does Rogerstein: Tim Rogers The Stables, Griffin Theatre Company, Kings Cross $20 9pm Simon Astley Excelsior Hotel, Glebe free 7.30pm all-ages Stonefield, The Delta Riggs, Kingswood The Standard, Darlinghurst $15.30 (+ bf) 8pm Superheavyweights, Tyran Hall Brass Monkey, Cronulla $19.40 7pm Suzie Higgie & Conway Savage, Starling Notes Live, Enmore $23.50 7pm Talk It Up The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown free 10.30pm What U Need INXS Show Engadine Tavern free 9.30pm The Woohoo Revue, Juke Baritone The Vanguard, Newtown $23.80 8pm Xtra Hot Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8pm

JAZZ

Paul Grabowski Sextet 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8.30pm

Depression Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm Devine Electric, Raise The Craze, The Lockhearts, The Truth Is The Lansdowne, Broadway free 8pm Electric Empire, Ngaiire, DJ Huweston The Standard, Darlinghurst $20 (+ bf) 8pm Fallon Bros Duo Harbord Beach Hotel free 8.30pm Floyd Vincent and the Childbrides Beaches Hotel, Thirroul free 8pm Funkstar The Marlborough Hotel free 10.30pm Gossling, Hayden Calnin The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$20 8pm Highway To Hell Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown free 9pm John Butler, Felicity Groom Metro Theatre, Sydney $55 8pm sold out Kittens: Purple Sneakers DJs, The Bright Young Things, Ginger & Drum, Louis London, The Khanz Spectrum, Darlinghurst $10 8pm Marshall Okell, Skinny Legions, The Keep Secrets, Picture Perfect, Polar Knights, Shadows At Play, The Trobes Annandale Hotel $15 4.30pm Miriam Lieberman Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $25 7.30pm Mr Wilson, Vivienne Kingswood Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont free 8pm Night Hag, At Dark, Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Short,

The Brave The Roxbury, Glebe 8pm Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel, Genedefect, Paintbox City, Blackened They Rise, Amodus, Syko Sapien, Stellar Addiction Valve Bar, Tempe 4pm Original Sin INXS Show, Swingshift Cold Chisel Show Chester Hill Bowling & Recreation Club free 8pm Peter Northcote’s Drive, Brydon Stace, Virginia Lillye Brass Monkey, Cronulla $26.55 7pm Pigeon, Saloons, The Deer Republic Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 7pm Ramshackle Sydney Livehouse, Lewisham Hotel 8pm Ranger Spacey, The Pretty Littles, Ed Deer Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Red Fire Red, We Without, Sugarsun, Mordechai, Sarah Bird, Don Christopher, Samba Ninja The Square, Haymarket $15 8pm Richard Clapton, Voodoo Suns Newport Arms Hotel free 4pm Roots Runnin’: Kooii, Alotta Presha, Soul Drummer Blue Beat, Double Bay $15 7pm SFX: Summerset Avenue, The Smart, Seek The Silence, Elektrik Error St James Hotel, Sydney $12$15 9pm Simon Astley The Valve, Tempe $5 1.30pm SNEZ Cafe Church, Glebe $12 7.30pm

Spirit Of Bob Marley: Afro Moses Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $30–$72 (dinner & show) 7pm Step-Panther, Bloods, Family FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 (+ bf) 8pm Stormcellar Royal Hotel, Bondi 8pm They Call Me Bruce Engadine RSL & Citizens Club free 8.30pm Totally Gaga - The Australian Lady Gaga Show Blacktown RSL Club free 10pm Transvaal Diamond Syndicate Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor free 8pm Xibalba (USA), Warbrain Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt $21.45 8pm

JAZZ

Dick & Christa Hughes Riverside Theatres, Parramatta $36 (conc)–$40 7.30pm The Lounge Bar Lotharios Penrith RSL free 2pm Paul Grabowski Sextet 505 Club, Surry Hills $15 (conc)–$20 8.30pm Peter Head The Harbour View Hotel 5pm Yuki Kumagai, John Mackie Well Co. Café/Wine Bar, Leichhardt free 7.30pm

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

Black Diamond Ettalong Beach Hotel free 8pm Joyce Collins The Belvedere Hotel free 9pm Russell Neal Terrey Hills Tavern free 7.30pm

SATURDAY APRIL 28 ROCK & POP

2 Of Hearts Brighton RSL Club, Brighton-Le-Sands free 8pm 21st Century Blues Riverside Theatres, Parramatta $40 7.30pm allages 7 Soulz, Super Florence Jam and The Vanns Mounties, Mount Pritchard $15 7pm An Horse, The Rescue Ships, Boatfriends Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Ashes, Maux Faux, The Underground Architect, Jess Mill & Nick Latta The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown 8pm The Australian Nirvana Tribute Narrabeen RSL, North Narrabeen free 8.30pm Bang Shang a Lang Manly Fisho’s $10 (+ bf) 8pm Best Of 70s Blues: The Foreday Riders, Bridie King, Robert Susz’s Continental Blues Party, Bruce Bongers’ Downhome Quartet, Don Hopkins Notes Live, Enmore $34.70 7pm Burt Bacharach (USA) Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House $109–$189 8pm Caravana Sun, Declan Kelly, Bears With Guns Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach $12 (+ bf) 8pm Chet Faker, Flume GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $12 (+ bf) 8pm sold out Creedence And Friends Dundas Sports & Recreation Club free 9pm Dave Tice and Mark Evans Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown free 4pm

tue wed

24 25 Apr Jan

(8:00PM - 11:15PM)

ANZAC DAY

wed

25 Apr

(1:00PM - 3:45PM)

thu

26 Apr fri

27 Apr

Andy Mammers Duo (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:30PM – 1:30PM)

SATURDAY NIGHT

sat

28 Apr

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(4:15PM - 7:30PM)

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:00PM - 1:30AM)

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SUNDAY NIGHT

sun

29 Apr

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 35

gig picks

g g guide gig g

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

ROCK & POP

AC/DC Pinball Party: Dirty Deeds Valve Bar, Tempe $25 (+ bf) 2pm Ace Brighton RSL Club, BrightonLe-Sands free 7pm Aya Larkin Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $19 8pm Blues Sunday: Mark Hopper Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly free 7.30pm Brutal Poodles, Myth & Tropics, Cortese Bank, Call To Colour Annandale Hotel $10 6pm Cash Only Marrickville Bowling Club free 4.30pm Dom Turner’s Supro Downstairs, Sandringham Hotel free 4pm Floyd Vincent and the Childbrides Wickham Park Hotel free 5pm Gossling, Winter People, Hayden Calnin Brass Monkey, Cronulla $15.30 (+ bf) 8pm Helpful Kitchen Gods, Captains Of Industry, Boxing With Ghosts, Sunwing & The Tim Gray Allstars Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale free 5pm JD Mo, Death Rays From Atlantis The Lansdowne, Broadway free Jordan Miller, Benjalu, The Mountains, Continental Blues Party Rock Lily, The Star, Pyrmont

free 8pm Kooii Hotel Steyne, Manly free 7.30pm Kristina Olsen (USA), Anatoli Torjinsky Notes Live, Enmore $34.70 7pm Last Dinosaurs, Millions, The Griswolds Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Mandi Jarry Harbord Beach Hotel free 6pm Megastar Overdrive, Henry Earl, The Shady Expedition Sandringham Hotel, Newtown $10 7pm Millennium Bug The Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney free 10pm The Never Ever, The Sunny Side Up, Forever Ends Here, Tom Jordan The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney $18.50 (+ bf) 2.30pm all-ages The Sidetracked Fiasco Old Manly Boatshed 8pm Steve Reich - A Celebration: Steve Reich, Ensemble Offspring, Halcyon, Sydney Symphony Sinfonia Quartet Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House 6pm Sunset People: The

Fighting League, Convent, Love Chants Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills free 4pm A Tribute To Chess Records: Mikelangelo, Pugsley Buzzard, Pat Powell, Eric Rasmussen, Kira Puru, Christian Power, Sally Marrett, DJ Papa Pigfoot Pea The Vanguard, Newtown $28.80 7pm Wendy Saddington & Peter Head Camelot Lounge, Marrickville $25-$30 6.30pm

JAZZ

TUESDAY APRIL 24 Redd Kross (USA), Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Bloods Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $44 (+ bf) 8pm Sosueme 5th Bday: YesYou, Alison Wonderland, Sosueme DJs, Joyride, Elizabeth Rose, Brendan MacLean, Furnace & The Fundamentals, Starjumps, Block Nes Monsters Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills $10 (+ bf) 6pm

The Peter Head Trio & Friends The Harbour View Hotel free 4pm

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

ACOUSTIC & FOLK

The Fabergettes Bank Hotel, Newtown free 6pm

Hayley Sales The Belvedere Hotel free 4pm Russell Neal, Warren Munce, Mirrors In Iceland Salisbury Hotel, Stanmore free 2pm Shane MacKenzie Cohibar, Darling Harbour free 3pm

THURSDAY APRIL 26 Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Iluka Hotel Steyne, Manly 8pm Hot Damn! Full Moon UV Party: Sound Of Seasons, Ghosts On Broadway, Baby Grand, We Saved The Party, Far Away Stables, Hot Damn DJs Spectrum / Q Bar, Darlinghurst $15-$20 8pm Jack Carty, The Falls, Maples The Vanguard, Newtown $18.80 8pm A Night On The Town With Oxford Art Factory: March

Of The Real Fly, Hey Geronimo, Pear Shape, The Jeff Chinky Fan Club, The Owls Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst free 8pm Royal Chant, The Pretty Littles, DeathSquare FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel free 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 27 Big Scary, Geoffrey O’Connor, Mosman Alder Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, Kool Thing, Jordan Millar Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills free 7pm Made In Japan, The Salvadors, Jubilants, Pear Shape FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 8pm Rogers Does Rogerstein: Tim Rogers The Stables, Griffin Theatre Company, Kings Cross $20 9pm Stonefield, The Delta Riggs, Kingswood The Standard, Darlinghurst $15.30 (+ bf) 8pm

SATURDAY APRIL 28 An Horse, The Rescue Ships, Boatfriends Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Caravana Sun, Declan Kelly, Bears With Guns

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach $12 (+ bf) 8pm Chet Faker, Flume GoodGod Small Club, Sydney $12 (+ bf) 8pm sold out Gossling, Hayden Calnin The Basement, Circular Quay $15 (+ bf)–$20 8pm Kittens: Purple Sneakers DJs, The Bright Young Things, Ginger & Drum, Louis London, The Khanz Spectrum, Darlinghurst $10 8pm Step-Panther, Bloods, Family FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel $10 (+ bf) 8pm

SUNDAY APRIL 29 Aya Larkin Lizotte’s Restaurant, Dee Why $19 8pm Brutal Poodles, Myth & Tropics, Cortese Bank, Call To Colour Annandale Hotel $10 6pm Last Dinosaurs, Millions, The Griswolds Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst $15 (+ bf) 8pm Steve Reich - A Celebration: Steve Reich, Ensemble Offspring, Halcyon, Sydney Symphony Sinfonia Quartet Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House 6pm Sunset People: The Fighting League, Convent, Love Chants Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills free 4pm

Caravana Sun

Xxxx

SUNDAY APRIL 29

Wednesday April 25th

Friday April 27th

1pm // No Show - Live Recording Broadcast on FBi 94.5

8pm $10

MADE IN JAPAN

LUNCH BREAK

DZ Deathrays

+ THE SALVADORS + JUBILANTS + PEAR SHAPE

Thursday April 26th

Saturday April 28th

8pm // FREE But you’ll need to RSVP

8pm, $10

presented by Alberts:

STEP-PANTHER + BLOODS +FAMILY

VICE PRESENTS: ROYAL CHANT + THE PRETTY LITTLES + DEATHSQUARE

LATE NIGHT SOCIAL: ABILLION + ZE + FRAMES

Midnight - late // FREE - Broadcast live on FBi

L2 Kings Cross Hotel 36 :: BRAG :: 459 : 23:04:12

www.fbisocial.com

RES EATEST PLEASU O OF LIFE’S GR MARRYING TW

ND MUSIC GREAT FOOD A Y

Calling ts all artisand e iv L r fo Locals!

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38 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

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dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things WITH

Electric Empire

NIKO SCHWIND (GER)

Growing Up My sister owned a club in Mainz 1. during the ‘90s, and whenever I visited her I went over to play with the arcade games there. One fine day I met their resident DJ, and he was kind enough to give me my first mix-tape, which blew me away. I tell you, that mix is still on heavy rotation.

Inspirations I’d say that my main source of 2. inspiration is DJing. Thanks to DJing, I have the opportunity to be in contact with many different kinds of people and, of course, new music, which is a massive personal gain. Besides DJing electronic music, I’m also really interested in and inspired by all sorts of other genres, be it hip hop, old funk and soul, punk and even tiki. The first record I ever bought – at the age of 11 I think – was Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

by Dead Kennedys. Recently I’ve been in love with Little Dragon’s album Ritual Union as I really enjoy the voice of their singer.

Your Crew We’re like one big family at Stil 3. vor Talent. Privately, a lot of us are really good friends, rather than restrict our relationships to professional environments like the club or studio. We hang out and have BBQs whenever we get the chance. When I first moved to

Berlin, I met André and Mirko of Channel X and they eventually introduced me to Oliver Koletzki – so my relationship with Stil vor Talent developed very naturally. Currently, I am taking piano lessons with André, which is great fun.

The Music You Make Last year, I released my first LP on Stil 4. vor Talent, Good Morning Midnight, which included collaborations with Oliver Koletzki, Fran and David August, among others. After quite a few remixes – most recently for Oliver’s new album Großstadtmärchen 2 – I am now working on a new EP, which is due on Stil vor Talent in the summer.

Music, Right Here, Right Now At the moment, I find the electronic 5. music scene very open towards all sorts of different sounds and ideas. It’s easy to mix-up a lot of different styles and to create something innovative and interesting with it. Especially the disco and ‘80s-influenced stuff is really strong right now… I like it a lot. Finally there’s some warmth and soul in electronic music again!

What: Stil vor Talent showcase feat. Niko Schwind and Murat Kilic With: YokoO, Matt Weir, Nic Scali Where: The Spice Cellar / 58 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD When: Saturday April 28 from 10pm

Friday April 27 and the following Saturday at Serial Space (33 Wellington St, Chippendale).

The Friday night event is a “raucous” gig commencing at 7pm featuring featuring musicians and artists who use modular synths: Robin Fox, David Burraston, Hair Hochman, Nadir (Ben Byrne and Alex White) and Dorkbot’s Pia Van Gelder, with entry $12. The following day from 10am-3pm is a free ‘expo’ of modular synthesisers, ‘Sample & Hold’, which presents an opportunity to engage with the arrays of collectors, musicians, distributors and makers. Then from 3pm-6pm there’s another free event, ‘Dorkbot’, a regular meeting for ‘people doing strange things with electricity’.

ELECTRIC EMPIRE

Off the back of the deluxe re-release of their self-funded/self-penned/self-titled debut album, smooth-as-fuck Melbourne threepiece Electric Empire are playing The Standard this weekend (Saturday April 28), where they’ll be mixing it up with the babein’ Ngairre (have you heard that girl sing? Go hear that girl sing) – and no doubt feeling smug about the fact that having supported the likes of The Brand New Heavies, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Mayer Hawthorne, they now get their own support acts. And you know what there’s gonna be a total absence of at this show? Dancefloor douche-bags, shitty sound, and bad vibes. Really. And if you tell us the nicest thing that’s happened to you this week, we might sling you a double pass. event catering for ardent bassheads. Ajapai is said to make music that is not for the faint of heart, producing “a constant barrage of unique noises tailored to be a pure assault of the senses”. However the Japanese producer has certainly found his niche, with his debut single ‘What do you hear?’ hitting #3 on the Beatport charts and paving the way for Ajapai to be signed to Rottun Recordings. Support will come from TUFF EM UP! Records’ Redial along with Against Time & Kaos, Brown Bear and Mind QUAD. Entry is $20 on the door from 10pm.

The Bamboos

THEO PARRISH

Azealia Banks

ABERCROMBIE RE-OPEN

SPLENDID BEATS

In a lineup laden with rock highlights – insert the obligatory Smashing Pumpkins related hyperbole here – there are also a few beats proponents featured in the Splendour In The Grass lineup that warrant coverage on this page, namely wunderkind American rapper Azealia Banks and hometown favourites Hilltop Hoods. The 20-year-old Banks is gearing up to release a new EP, 1991 (the year of her birthday – I’m feeling mighty old right now) ahead of her forthcoming debut LP, Broke With Expensive Taste, which is apparently currently in the works with producer du jour Paul Epworth. The word coming from BRAG’s connection in Coachella is that Banks was smokin’ at the showpiece festival, delivering a set that included her Diplo collaboration ‘Fuck Up The Fun’ and even a cover of Prodigy’s classic cut ‘Firestarter’. Splendour In The Grass runs from July 27-29 at Belongil Fields, Byron Bay and tix are on sale from 9am on Friday April 27. splendourinthegrass.com

BUILDING BRIDGES

The Refugee Action Coalition are hosting the Building Bridges Festival at The Standard next month, to support refugee rights and end mandatory detention. In addition to the worthy cause, a hefty lineup has been assembled that includes The Herd, Watussi, ROSiE, Dog Trumpet and Ember. Ember includes Mohsen Soltani, a recently released Iranian asylum seeker who has spent four years detention in Port Hedland and Villawood and who plays the traditional Persian instrument the Santoor, accompanied by traditional Iranian Tar, bass and saxaphone. The Herd 40 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:03:12

Detroit king pin Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature Sounds Vol. 2 will be released later this month. As the title suggests, the new compilation from the house wildcard is a follow-up to his 2008 compilation Sound Signature Sounds Vol. 1 (shock horror, right?) and, as was the case with that compilation, collects past singles from Parrish, some on his own Sound Signatures label (2009’s ‘Sons of Osiris’, for instance), some on other labels (1997’s ‘Rain for Jimmy’, with the Three Chairs), and some unreleased altogether.

While talking Detroit house auteurs, Moodymann also dropped a new EP recently, Picture This, and was offering free downloads online to promote the release. Follow up on that one if you haven’t already doe.

meanwhile have a reputation as one of the country’s best live acts, boasting a set-up that comprises two MCs, two singers, an acoustic and an electric guitar, bass, piano accordion, clarinet, laptops and MPC 1000s. The event runs from 7pm til midnight on Friday May 18 with entry $30 ($20 concession).

MODULUXXX

Calling all synth fiends! Moduluxxx is a “mini festival” that apparently sits somewhere between a museum, a LAN party and a pet show, celebrating modular synthesisers over three events spread across the night of

The Abercrombie has become something of a favourite clubbing destination in recent times with the popularity of events such as S.A.S.H., the Sydney Dance Party fiestas and Subsonic’s recent End Of The Line bash with Stimming. When news broke of the venue being subject to an arson attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning, there were immediate fears about the potential ramifications on the local EDM scene. However those associated with the venue worked tirelessly to have it open and operational within 48 hours, and the venue is very much now back up and running, and will continue to host noteworthy club events beginning with the Chemistry vs Loose Kaboose midday-midnight Anzac Day extravaganza. The house and techno showcase will feature Melbourne’s Markojux playing live along with the likes of Volta, Ben Korbel, Marcotix and Ken Cloud throwing down, among many others, with entry $10 on the door.

AJAPAI

Prepare for a night of heavy bass kicks and heavier beats when Japan’s Ajapai headlines the Arthouse Hotel on Saturday May 5 in an

BAMBOOS TOUR

Ahead of the release of their fifth album, The Bamboos have announced their first national tour since 2010, which includes a show at The Metro on Friday June 22.

Forthcoming album Medicine Man was crafted by bandleader Lance Ferguson alongside collaborators such as regular guest Kylie Auldist, You Am I’s Tim Rogers (who guests on the current single ‘I Got Burned’), Washington, Mark Ronson collaborator Daniel Merriweather, Aloe Blacc, Bobby Flynn and the band’s newest member, Ella Thompson. Pre-sale tickets available from Wednesday April 25 via metrotheatre.com.au

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dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery

FREESTUFF@THEBRAG.COM

five things

Blawan

WITH TORNADO WALLACE (MELB) Growing Up My parents were about as into music 1. as most people, but my sisters and I were thrown into piano lessons quite early on and encouraged throughout school to keep learning an instrument. The lessons were never theory based and there was next-tono-sight-reading involved, so I had to learn to play with just my ear, which I believe has helped me later in life to construct music in a creative way rather than a technical way.

Inspirations Daft Punk were the biggest game2. changer for me; they led me down the electronic music path to which there was no return. Growing up playing acoustic instruments you begin to see limitations in what you can do, but there are no boundaries with electronic music – and that’s what I heard the first time I discovered Daft Punk. Along the way there have been numerous other musical influences. The more notable ones would be Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, Metro Area and DJ Harvey.

Your Crew I’m part of a group in Melbourne called 3.

Animals Dancing, which consists of DJs Andee Frost, Nick and Tom from Otologic and club owner Daragh Kan. We run parties hosting (mainly) international DJs who have the ability, skill and all ‘round awesomeness

to play for five hours plus. Otologic, Daragh and I also run a monthly party called C Grade in the Mercat Basement, where Otologic and I play for around seven hours.

The Music You Make My ongoing style and approach is house 4. music, though some tracks would be better defined as something else. I have released across a few labels but my main stable is London-based Delusions Of Grandeur, and I have remixed Cut Copy, Eddie C and Matthew Dear, amongst others. As a DJ I like to play across a few styles, but one could certainly expect to hear some disco, house and techno in most sets.

Music, Right Here, Right Now As a Melbournian, I’ve only had fleeting 5. exposure to Sydney’s music scene. From what I’ve seen, there are a number of people putting a lot of hard work in and really supporting good music and good parties. Mad Racket, Future Classic and Picnic are three names that stand out.

With: Racketeers Ken Cloud, Jimmi James, Zootie and Simon Caldwell What: Mad Racket Where: Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club / 91 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville When: Saturday April 28

BLAWAN + PARIAH

Astral People (the good folks that brought you local heroes Bon Chat, Bon Rat, Collarbones, Dro Carey, Albatross and suchthelike) are presenting a bass doubleheader this month, featuring hyped London producer Blawan and his compatriot Pariah.

Blawan is coming off a stellar 2011, crowned by the success of his white label Brandysampling single ‘Getting Me Down’, which became a global smash and went on to be polled the number-one tune of 2011 by Resident Advisor, along with a Radiohead remix. Pariah may be relatively unknown, but is spoken about as a ‘star in the making’ by those who know their sh*t (listen to his 2010 debut EP on R&S Records and you can be one of those people). It’s happening Saturday May 12 at GoodGod Small Club, and if you missed your earlybird tickets, tell us the last gig you loved, and if it sounds about right we’ll give you a double pass.

Pig&Dan

[THE BOX] FT PIG&DAN

A favourite amongst the local underground clubbing community, [THE BOX] returns from hiatus to celebrate its 4th Birthday on Saturday April 28, with Spanish duo Pig&Dan slotted to play a three-hour set.

Pig&Dan is the pairing of Dan Duncan and Igor Tchkotoua, who have a sonic CV crowned by album releases on Sven Vath’s Cocoon label, remixes of the likes of Underworld and most recently the release of their third LP Then & Now on the Yoshitoshi imprint. As one would expect, there’s also a strong cast of local DJs representing: Jay Smalls, Michael Doney, Michael Scholes and Defined

By Rhythm. Early bird tickets are available online for $20, with the added bonus of a free t-shirt while stocks last. More info at thebox.iwannaticket.com.au

I:CUBE

Veteran French producer I:Cube, one half of Chateau Flight, will release his fifth studio album, ‘M’ Megamix, in early May. I:Cube – whose real name is Nicolas Chaix – has long offered a counterpoint to his more celebrated French peers (see Justice et al) with cuts like ‘Adore’ and more recently ‘Falling’ punctuating his discography. ‘M’ Megamix will be released on DJ Gilb’R’s Versatile imprint, and is described as ‘an assortment of all things that make (electronic) dance music or what you think it is, enjoyable’. The 24-track release is the Frenchman’s first since ’06’s Live At The Planetarium, and as the title suggests, it’s at least in part a homage to the classic mixtape

San Soda Mount Kimbie

MOUNT KIMBIE

The coveted support slots for UK bass duo Mount Kimbie’s performance at the Hi-Fi (formerly The Forum) on Friday May 4 will go to Oscar + Martin and Albatross. Oscar + Martin have previously notched up supports for Metronomy, Gotye and St. Vincent, and supporting the ‘post-dubstep’ London-based duo represents another impressive international scalp. Incidentally, Mount Kimbie have said they’re OK with being labelled ‘post-dubstep’, stating a preference for the term over some of the other labels that’ve been attached to them, which apparently include ‘love-step’ and ‘emo-step’!

DIRECTIONS IN GROOVE

The original Directions In Groove (DiG) lineup have recruited UK drummer Ian Mussington to play a residency at Double Bay venue Blue Beat, starting on Friday May 4. The event promises ‘a night of funky beats and rare groove,’ with Rick of the band stating, “We want to play funky and upbeat music, get people dancing and have some fun.” In terms of the 42 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:03:12

soundtrack to said fun, expect a throwback to the early-‘90s sonic zeitgeist, with vocalist Laura Stitt, a guest on DiG’s most recent album, confirmed to join the band for their Blue Beat debut. Meanwhile, this coming Friday at the same venue, The Booty Affair are showcasing an array of disco and funk with the assistance of guest vocalists Paula ‘Miss P’ Baxter and Chris Luder. Entry $10 from 10pm.

format, with short, cut-up snippets of tracks put together in the manner of a live performance.

ANIMAL MIRACLES

Gaylordz Discotéque returns on Saturday April 28 at The Red Rattler in Marrickville with an ‘Animal Miracles’-themed bash – which gives potential attendees plenty to work with.

Supplying the soundtrack for the animalistic debauchery will be DJs Daddy Banga, Hip Hop Hoe and Gay-Z, while there will be a range of performers gracing the stage, including Mister Rio’s Boy & Daddy Banga, Rat Nandall and ‘The Seagull’ (an enigma indeed). Doors open at 8pm, with entry $10 before 10pm and $15 thereafter.

CO-OP 3RD BDAY

CO-OP are throwing their third birthday party at One22 on Saturday May 19, with a headlining international double bill of San Soda and Bill Brewster.

Brewster was one of the first residents at the legendary fabric nightclub, and is the fellow behind the Low Life parties, which, having started in NYC are now in their 15th year and remain something of a London institution. San Soda is the moniker of Belgium born Nicolas Geysens, a mainstay of the revered We Play House label and one half of production duo FCL with his recording partner and WPH label owner Red D. Geysens has released productions on labels like Freerange, Dessous, Delusions Of Grandeur and 20:20 Vision – a testament to his considerable sonic prowess. Support on the night will come from the CO-OP DJs, with presale tickets available through Resident Advisor.

Krafty Kuts Let’s Ride By Annabel Maclean

B

ack in the ‘90s – before his track ‘Gimme The Funk’ got signed to Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried Records – Martin Reeves ran a popular record store in Brighton.

Since then, he’s cut his teeth in the scene and become one of the biggest producers and DJs on the international breaks circuit, regularly smashing the Breakspoll Awards.

Reeves is also probably one of the most affable DJs on the circuit; speaking to me not long after disembarking in Sydney from his UK flight, he’s inordinately upbeat: “They said, ‘Oh did you want to go and check out the captain’s cock-pit?’ and I said, ‘I certainly would love to go in there and see what it’s like’, because obviously all boys want to see loads of flashing lights and things. So they let me go in there and I got a picture and it was amazing.”

Reeves’ arrival in Sydney ties in nicely with the release of his sophomore album, Let’s Ride. It was due out last December, but he says the delayed release coincides perfectly with his upcoming Australian tour. “[It’s been a] bloody nightmare,” he admits, on getting the record out. “There was a track that we couldn’t get on there called ‘Get Up And Dance’; it’s a hip hop track with Dynamite, and we just had a sample on it [but] they just wanted too much money to clear the sample so it wasn’t feasible in this day and age – unless it was going to be a hit record, [and] we couldn’t take that chance. We had to clear two other samples [as well], and it’s just taken a lifetime to do it... It’s like you do the [album], you’re really excited, you want it out, and then you’ve got to wait all that time – it’s fucking frustrating.”

On the upside, Reeves feels like this album is some of his best work to date. “Where the album’s taken so long to put together, it’s given me time to digest different musical flavours and different aspects of music that I’ve taken in from my travels – whether it be South America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, wherever,” he explains. “I’ve heard different things – just waking up in the morning hearing sounds and creepy noises... I wanted the album to be fresh and exciting with lots of good songs, and I just took my time with it rather than rush it. I think the good thing about Krafty Kuts is it’s not commercial; they’re not pop records but they’re sort of likeable records in their own right, so there’s a nice balance to it.”

When he hasn’t been focused on Let’s Ride, Reeves has been working on his other pet project – the super fresh label Instant Vibes, which he launched last year. “I’m taking my time with it,” he says cautiously. “Instant Vibes is a good representation of where Krafty Kuts is going and what I’m trying to achieve – and trying to nurture new artists is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I wanted to do it with Against The Grain [Reeves’ joint label with UK DJ and producer Skool Of Thought] but I couldn’t because I didn’t have full control; but with this label, it’s mine, and it’s for me to control.”

“I’m just about music and having a good time.

I’ve never been more excited about the music that I’ve got to play than right now.”

In terms of the Instant Vibes roster, Reeves says, “I’ve just signed a few acts… I’ve got a new J Robinson track that he’s done with Stereo MCs and The Jungle Brothers – which I’m going to be playing exclusively on this tour… I’ve got like two or three new Krafty singles, and I’m working with this girl from Sydney, Stellar MC, and she’s doing an EP with me.”

2013 will mark the 10th anniversary of Tricka Technology, the wildly popular collaborative record Reeves made with English breakbeat DJ and producer A.Skillz. Reeves says they’ll be writing part two of Tricka Technology next year and they’ve got a celebration planned. “We’re putting something really special together [in May], me and A.Skillz with Dynamite,” he says. “We’re going to be working in the studio to write some new material and be doing a tour together. I can’t really say too much but basically it’s like combining a Krafty Kuts and A.Skillz set into one powerful, monster contraption where basically you’re just going to hear all your favourite records all combined into a special, little crazy conundrum; you won’t be able to go for a piss, you won’t be able to have a drink, you’ll be just so intoxicated with excitement.”

And that’s how Reeves hopes punters will feel when he hits town for Garden Party. “I want everyone to come and have a good time, and I like to bring the best music possible and spend as much time as I can giving people something back; I’m not all about flashy lights and lasers and strobes and gimmicks, I’m just about music and having a good time. I’ve never been more excited about the music that I’ve got to play than right now.

Every year that goes by it just seems to get better.”

With: Peo De Pitte (SWE), Royalston (Hospital Records) What: Garden Party Where: Courtyard @ the ivy / 320 George St When: Saturday April 28, midday-7pm More: Garden Party Afterparty from 7pm @ Chinese Laundry, feat. Derrick May BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 43

Mount Kimbie

Clark

London Calling By Luke Telford

T

he term bass music (or UK bass, as Skream would put it) encompasses a mercurial array of music that includes garage, jungle, dubstep, techno, to name a few; for most, it brings to mind the warped, eulogistic treacle of Burial, or the hermetic basslines and meditative rhythmic logic of Shackleton. What unites the lot of it is a tendency towards ambience, and a resolution to make dark rooms full of people dance.

S

igning to Warp Records at the age of 20, UK producer Chris Clark has since developed a worldwide following via a genre-leaping series of records and EPs. Touring Down Under this month, he’ll be playing off the back of his brand-new album Iradelphic, which sees him enter fresh musical terrain once again.

Recorded in six countries over three years, Iradelphic is the product of extensive experimentation. Wanting to create something that diverged from his previous albums without altogether abandoning his signature sound, Clark says, “It just takes a lot of writing. Once you’ve got hundreds of tracks, you can start to see the stylistic links between things. Placing them together in a context that is new and fresh but still has subtle hints of what you have done in the past becomes easier.”

Speaking from Switzerland (where he’s just had steak for breakfast) Clark says, “It seems utterly strange to me that people get angry – and they do actually get angry – that I haven’t done something similar to what I’ve done before. It’s like, ‘You’ve changed, how dare you!’”

Compared to 2009’s Totems Flare, Iradelphic showcases softer tones and offers listeners an aural slice of the various environments and places that inspired the record. “I finished the album off in Melbourne which was pretty weird for me because I’ve never had a hot Australian Christmas,” he says. “The rest of the album was made in much colder places – Norway, Wales, Berlin. Making it in these places, well, the music served as an escape; it doesn’t sound very Norwegian.”

Laptop microphones, crumbling cassettes, dictaphones, Cold War microphones and field recordings all cameo on Iradelphic, part of an

experimental approach by Clark. “I found this great hire place where you could get really lavish old vintage equipment for a week or so at virtually no cost,” he says. “I didn’t plan what to use, as I had no idea what the tracks would sound like, so it was more a case of having lots of piano tracks and then working out the best way to record them. The field recordings were made in Teufelsberg, an old CIA listening tower in Berlin; it has the most amazing, endlessly refracting reverb.”

In terms of his upcoming Sydney shows, Clark says the live set up he’s got going at the moment is “really fun. It’s basically a load of customised modular gear and some synths; it allows me to improvise quite freely but then reign it back in when it’s not working or if I fancy playing some more developed material.

These two things – being able to write a track on the spot and then fuse it to more familiar material – make it really exciting for me; it’s like having the relaxed feeling of being in my studio, but on stage in front of lots of people it’s also terrifying… I could easily [not do gigs],” he admits, “but I like the challenge of letting people in to see those slightly tense/vulnerable moments.”

It feels weird, then, that ‘post-dubstep’ – a painfully self-referential tag born out of dubstep’s devolution at the hands of people like Skrillex – is used to describe British duo Mount Kimbie. Their music shares a certain tonal palette with some of their contemporaries (Joy O, James Blake), but boasts a levity that others’ work spurns. It also feels very much a product of the city that served as a melting pot for all of the aforementioned genres, but seems to spurn the club spaces that championed them. “London was a big inspiration for me,” admits Kai Campos, one half of the duo. “When I moved up here, I started taking [making music] much more seriously. As much as I wouldn’t want to admit it, it was kind of a culture shock, as well. For me, it’s a big part of the record.”

He’s referring to 2010’s Crooks And Lovers, a collection of uncannily arranged dubstep-inminiature. From the crowd sounds and white noise over the resigned dub of ‘Would Know’ to the icy patina of grime that settles over the club elegy ‘Carbonated’, the whole thing feels like London.

But while its wistful introspection and mutedly psychedelic clutter ring true to the city, it’s also bright and occasionally elating. It makes as much, if not more, sense coming out of laptop speakers or headphones in your bedroom as it does from the air-shifting PA system in a darkened club.

“For us, it’s more important for people to enjoy it on an emotional level, at home,” says Campos.

“I’m not that concerned about how it works on the dancefloor. It doesn’t serve that well as functional dance music. I think there’s more to be found in it away from that.”

Growing up in Cornwall, Campos came to the club slowly, progressing from the jazz in his parents’ collection to hip hop and eventually to techno and garage. Fascinatingly, one of the pieces of music that catalysed his creative Mount Kimbie partnership with Dom Maker was Melancholia, by American composer William Basinski.

Basinski’s base material is analogue tape, which is used to loop melodic fragments until they degrade to create thick suspensions of rhythmless cadence. The resulting smokey ambience is expansive and almost palpably wistful, and feels miles removed from Mount Kimbie’s densely wrought micro-cityscapes. What the two do share is the ability to elicit potent evocations of space from the repetition of seemingly little.

“There’s a lot of similarities in Melancholia to someone like Burial,” says Campos. “The background and foreground are kind of merged into one, and there isn’t a narrative line as such….

It’s kind of small, miniature ideas and fragments of music expanded and re-explored.”

On stage, the exquisite miniatures of Crooks And Lovers are woven into a heady soundscape that only occasionally yields to the rhythmic demands of the club. Campos acknowledges that this might be at odds with what people expect of ‘postdubstep’ as a live proposition.

“Someone like Joy Orbison, if you hear that just simply at home, even on the best system in the world, it’s not quite the same experience as hearing it out in a club, and also hearing it mixed really well,” he explains. “[But] I think we need to keep hold of those things as well as recognising that some records don’t necessarily need to be heard like that.”

With: Oscar + Martin, Albatross Where: The Hi-Fi / Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park When: Friday May 4

Looking ahead to his next sonic adventure, post-tour, Clark muses, “I want to do something epic with more instruments and I also want to buy a load more modular equipment; I’m aiming to build the ultimate drum machine – but I’m not sure if those things will ever be combined.

Possibly, we shall see!”

With: Bon Chat, Bon Rat Where: Civic Underground / 388 Pitt Street When: Saturday April 28, 9pm More: Iradelphic out through Warp/Inertia

Derrick May Pulling The Strings By Andrew Nelson It’s around a quarter of a century since school mates May, Atkins and Saunderson started producing tracks with a distinctive machinebased-but-soulful electronic sound that brought UK journalists to Detroit, delivered that famous compilation (Techno! The New House Sound Of Detroit), and saw the trio touted on the cover of Face magazine as the next big thing.

Talking to May today it’s clear he still loves the genre he helped create (via tracks like the ground-breaking ‘Nude Photo’ and ‘Beyond The Dance’) and he is keen to educate others in his philosophy of ‘Hi Tech Soul’ (May originally suggested this title for the genre but was overruled by the other two). This love of funk and soul-drenched beats was honed listening to The Electrifying Mojo, whose radio show he and Atkins stayed up all night listening to in the early ‘80s, and which resulted in May practically stalking his hero in order to get his friend’s track some airplay.

D

errick May has got a bit of a reputation for speaking his mind, which probably goes to explain why the first time he encountered Kevin Saunderson (of Inner City, who along with May and Juan Atkins make up the ‘Holy Trinity Of Techno’ credited with inventing the genre) he was floored by a kinghit punch. So it’s perhaps no surprise when his first response (to an admittedly weak question 44 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

around his upcoming setlist) is, “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking too?” After a short pause (time for a change of underpants) he continues, “I’m the man who plays EVERYTHING!” He lets out a huge belly laugh – and it becomes obvious why he’s one of the leading figures in the movement today: it’s his passion – for life, for music, for knowledge – everything.

But for a man of such fervour, May hasn’t released any new material himself in years. “I’m concentrating on my record label,” he explains.

“I’m concentrating on producing new artists, developing new minds in the music industry.

Making music is not a desire of mine at the moment, but to help other artists create and develop and to release them on Transmat [his record label] is something I love doing.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of May’s seminal track ‘Strings Of Life’ – possibly the greatest dance track ever written – but he is reluctant to commemorate this with a remix.

“There’s been so many people making remixes of it,” he reasons. And in fact, it’s not the tune he’s most proud of. “For me it’s probably a song I made called ‘Kao-Tic Harmony’, because it was an accomplishment for me; I was heading in a different direction musically and was really trying something unique that still possessed my energy. The response from [that track] was very little, nobody really paid much attention to it, but for me it was my most important track.”

It’s this kind of forward-thinking that helped germinate the techno seed – but would it have blossomed without the UK influence? “I put the same question to Carl Craig just recently,” May replies. “We were making our own records and they were quite successful in Chicago, but it was what happened in England that truly gave us the nod, gave us the level of credibility that enabled us to walk the walk. The front cover of Face – that was the shit that said ‘These motherfuckers are going to be the next thing,’” he tells me. “It took the music, the record company, the city of Detroit – it took this whole romantic mysterious thing from these young black boys that made it what it was, to make people’s heads turn… Nothing has had that kind of creative cultural devastation on the music industry since we did that.”

With: Kraymer, Kato, A-Tonez and more!

Where: Garden Party Afterparty @ Chinese Laundry / 111 Sussex St, Sydney When: Saturday April 28, 7pm

Xxxx

Global Beat By Annabel Maclean

Deep Impressions Underground Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

Conrad Schnitzler

he latest product of Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer’s ongoing studio partnership is an LP featuring two extended remixes of Conrad Schnitzler’s esoteric piece ‘Zug’. Schnitzler, who died of cancer last year, was a founding member of both Tangerine Dream and Kluster (who would become Cluster), but it’s for his solo work that he deserves to be most highly regarded. ‘Zug’ was originally a privately-released cassette, known as The Red Tape; it received a limited vinyl release in 2006 on the Italian label Qbico, but the best wax version available is the 2010 pressing on m=minimal, which was mastered by Stefan ‘Pole’ Betke and Kassian Troyer, and featured remixes by Pole and Borngräber & Strüver. Recently, m=minimal gave Villalobos and Loderbauer, who together have reworked tracks by Vladislav Delay, Shangaan Electro’s Tshetsha Boys and Tobias in recent months, carte blanche to have their own wicked way with ‘Zug’.

The result is apparently engrossing, with two remixes of the track produced that, like the source material, clock in around the 20-minute mark. A respected online source elucidates, “The ‘Aktion’ mix is designed for club use, and for all its hypnotic power, never really feels like anything more than a tool – albeit a fanatically detailed one.

However, the ‘Sorgenkind’ mix on the B-side is a piece of deep, eerie, 21st Century dub driven by Schnitzler’s strafing synth tones and easily one of the finest, most beautifully sculpted productions that either Villalobos or Loderbauer have put their names to.” High praise indeed, but given the players at work on this one, it’d hardly be surprising if the result is masterly. The album – it’s more than long enough to be called an album – will be available on vinyl LP, CD and download on May 14.

T

Regular bedfellows Subsonic and Chemistry are again coming together – apologies for the lewd insinuations – to host highly touted Berlin live act Klartraum on Saturday May 19 at GoodGod Small Club. Klartraum is the collective of two highly regarded producers in their own right: the prolific Nadja Lind, who has released on labels such as Soma and been remixed by the one and only Terry Francis, and Helmut Ebritsch, who put out the excellent single ‘Modern Times’ under his Hatikvah moniker, which was subsequently reworked by my man Efdemin (who prior to playing in Sydney, discussed his passion for trimming rose bushes and eating apples – how’s that for quirky behind-the-scenes insights?). Klartraum arrive in Sydney on the back of releasing

LOOKING DEEPER WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

Chemistry vs Loose Kaboose The Abercrombie Hotel

SATURDAY APRIL 28

[THE BOX] feat. Pig&Dan One22

SATURDAY MAY 5 Nico Stojan One22

SATURDAY MAY 19 Klartraum (live) GoodGod Small Club

Maayan Nidam

their second LP, Evolution, last August via their own Lucidflow imprint, a label Ebritsch and Lind founded almost four years ago.

Evolution spawned a remix album before 2011 was out, which features reworks from the aforementioned Terry Francis, Silicone Soul, Steve Rachmad, Mark Henning, G-Man and Marek Hemmann among others.

Such a formidable list is an indication of Klartraum’s standing in the electronic music sector, and they’ll bring their live show to Australia for the first time having showcased it at UK clubbing coliseum fabric not long ago. Presale tickets are available online through Resident Advisor.

Tel Aviv born producer Maayan Nidam (aka Miss Fitz) will release her second album, New Moon, next month on the Cadenza label. New Moon follows Maayan’s 2009 debut release under her own name, Night Long (on Japanese label PowerShovel), an intimate album woven together out of Cuban instrumentalist recordings, and was followed by an EP on the canonical Perlon imprint.

(Nidam’s cut on Perlon, ‘Don’t Know Why’, encapsulates her deep, sensual but ever so slightly drugged-out sonic sensibility, and in my opinion remains the finest moment thus far in her production career.) Nidam is also renowned for her output under her Miss Fitz pseudonym, and has proven her worth as a collaborator, releasing alongside Robert Johnson resident Vera Heindel under the moniker Mara Trax, and Berlin-based exDetroiters Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss as Uli Künkel. As to what to expect from New Moon, a chap who has heard it offered the following: "The album is expansive.

Disparate influences and eras are joined together through a subtle interplay of contrast and tone." And how disparate are we talking, buster? “New Moon offers an 11-track collection of alternative electronic rhythms that combines everything from blissful broken beat to surrealist electro, jazz-influenced moments, acidic house, exploratory techno and piano interludes.”

I recommend working your way through Nidam’s immensely varied back-catalogue in the lead up to the release of New Moon on May 21.

Finally, anyone keen to combine Anzac Day with electronic music need look no further than the Chemistry + Loose Kaboose midday-‘til-midnight extravaganza this Wednesday at The Abercrombie Hotel.

Whether you’re partial to techno, house or disco, prefer dancing inside or outside, want to see live performances or DJs or want to indulge in the traditional ‘2 Up’, this event will cater to you – and with the likes of Ben Korbel, Ken Cloud, Glitch DJs and your humble narrator spinning, the tunes shouldn’t be too bad either.

Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 45

club guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Krafty Kuts

SATURDAY APRIL 28 Courtyard @ the ivy

Garden Party Krafty Kuts (UK), Peo De Pitte (SWE), Royalston

THURSDAY APRIL 26

$40 (+ bf) 12pm

+ Chinese Laundry

Afterparty feat. Derrick May (USA), Kraymer, Kato, A-Tonez, Murray Lake, King Lee, Def Tonez, Diskoriot $25-$39 7pm

MONDAY APRIL 23 Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Mother of a Monday DJ Smokin’ Joe free 8pm The Sugar Mill, Kings Cross Makeout Mondays DJs free 8pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Latin & Jazz Open Mic Jam Sessions DJs free 7pm

TUESDAY APRIL 24 The Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway Sydney Dance Party Garry Todd, Charlie Chux, DJ Junglesnake, DJ Dreamcatcher free 9pm The Argyle, The Rocks ANZAC Eve DJs 6pm Arq Sydney, Taylor Square Active Duty Jake Kilby, Justin Scott, Jimmy Dee, Eddie Coulter, James Tobin $10-$15 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross ANZAC Day Eve Cunningpants, Disco Volante, Fawkes, Stressless, Leanzy 9pm 46 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

Empire Hotel, Kings Cross Tight DJs free 9pm Establishment, Sydney Rumba Motel DJ Willie Sabor free 8pm GoodGod Front Bar, Sydney ANZAC Day Eve! Tyson Koh, Power Suit free 5pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Nick Catchdubs (USA), Levins, Nina Las Vegas, Jimmy Sing $12 (+ bf) 10pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross ANZAC Day Eve Athson, Devola, Isbjorn, Mr. Belvedere 8pm Marquee, The Star, Pyrmont Superstar Kitty Glitter, Alex Taylor, DJ Booth, Gay-Z, FML, Boyonce $52 (+ bf) 10pm Q-Bar, Darlinghurst We Come Out At Night Hot Damn DJs $15-$25 8pm Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney I Love Goon DJ Smokin’ Joe free 8pm The Sly Fox, Enmore Queer Central ANZAC Day Eve Rocco D’Amore, Sexy Galexy, Sveta, Shalyn Gray, Cunningpants, Nat Noiz free 9pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney ANZAC Day Eve 2012 Garth Linton, Robbie Lowe, Jaded & James Petrou, Robbie Cordukes & Jake Hough $20 10pm

$10 12pm The Argyle, The Rocks ANZAC Day DJs 12pm Bank Hotel, Newtown Newtown’s Biggest ANZAC Day 2Up Tora Hymen, DJ Sandi Hotrod, The Fabergettes, Lady L, DJ Du Jour 2pm The Bank Nightclub, Kings Cross Money Talks DJs free 10pm Epping Hotel DTF DJs free Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills Hip Hop Resident DJs free 8pm The Ivy, Sydney Roger Sanchez (USA), The Aston Shuffle DJs $45-$55 (+ bf) 2pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Resident DJs free 8pm The Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale ANZAC Day DJs free 12pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Dayclub Up Day Club DJs $15 5am The Sly Fox, Enmore Queer Central ANZAC Day Rocco D’Amore, Sexy Galexy, Sveta, Shalyn Gray, Cunningpants, Nat Noiz free 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross The Wall Kombat, Singha, Kovacs, A-Tonez, Clockwerk, Rehu, Nanna Does Smack 8pm

St James Hotel, Sydney SFX ANZAC Day Eve Party SFX DJs, Naked DJs, Tarantula DJs $15-$20 9pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Coyote Tuesday ANZAC Day Eve Party Helena 7pm Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills Sosueme 5th Bday YesYou, Alison Wonderland, Elizabeth Rose, Sosueme DJs, Joyride, Brendan Maclean, Furnace & The Fundamentals, F.R.I.E.N.D/s DJs, Block Nes Monsters, Starjumps $10 (+ bf) 6pm The World Bar, Kings Cross ANZAC Day Eve Party Black Diamond Hearts, Pablo Calamari, Soup Kitchen DJs, Conrad Greenleaf, Mike J, Beach Party $10 10pm

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25 The Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway Together Ben Korbel, Ken Cloud, Jimi Polar, Markojux (live), Volta, Jordan Deck, Trinity, Dave Stuart, Glitch DJs, Marcotix, Claire Morgan, Le Brond, Chris Honnery, Raffi Lovechild, Franchi Brothers

Cargo Lounge, King St Wharf Dance The Way You Feel Resident DJs free 6pm The Cool Room, Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill We Love Thursdays DJs free 9pm The Flinders Hotel, Darlinghurst Bananas DJs free 9pm GoodGod Front Bar, Sydney Girls Gone Mild Eliza & Hannah Reilly free 9pm Gypsy Lounge, Darlinghurst Naked Resident DJs 9pm Hunky Dory Social Club, Darlinghurst Beat Skool The Dark Horse 6pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Resident DJs free 8pm Q-Bar, Darlinghurst Hot Damn! Full Moon UV Party Hot Damn DJs $15-$20 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Rack City Resident DJs 8pm Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Books or Beer? DJs free 8pm Soho, Potts Point Ladies Night DJs free 9pm The Standard, Surry Hills Pizza Nicky Night Time, Kato, Valarie Yum, Lux Life free 8pm Sugar Lounge, Manly Fat Laced Funk Resident DJs free 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Nickels N Dimes free-$5 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 27 34 Degrees South, Bondi Get Down Resident DJs free 8pm Annandale Hotel Dialectrix, Ellesquire, Rainman, Calaski $12 (+ bf) 8pm Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Movement Guerre free 8pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Smash Bang Pow! Pretty Young Things, Donald Crump, Detektives, Pash ‘n’ Hop, Altrez vs Disarmed, Crux vs Kid Nip, Friendly Fiends, Solo, Sampy, Shark Bait, Saudz, Scope 9pm Cargo Lounge, King St Wharf Kick On Fridays Resident DJs

free 4pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Karton, Glove Cats, Victims, J Beetz, Axe Soydas,Typhonic, EMBI $15–$20 10pm Civic Underground, Sydney Compound Templar Soundsystem (UK), Kato, DJ Hernan, Mansion, Speakeasy, Clark Cohen $10 10pm Club 77, Sydney Club Blink – Deftones Tribute Club Blink DJs 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour Gimme Five Shamus, Mike Silver free 9pm Dee Why Hotel Flirt DJ Alana 9pm Epping Hotel Flirt DJs free Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills Cleric and Angel free 8pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Slow Blow Family Reunion DJ Jungle Snake, DJ Dreamcatcher, Pink Lloyd & Chester Castle $10 11pm Gypsy Lounge, Darlinghurst Warp Speed SFX DJs 9pm Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour Lil Jon (USA) $50-$55 (+ bf) 9pm Jacksons on George, Sydney DJ Ivan Drago free 9pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Falcona Fridays Alison Wonderland, Hansom, Kristy Lee, Starjumps, Rumford $10 8pm Luna Lounge Nightclub, Jacksons On George, Sydney DJ Rain Julz free 9pm The Marlborough Hotel – Level 1, Newtown Resident DJs free 9pm Nevada Lounge, Darlinghurst DJ Hayden free 6pm Pontoon, Darling Harbour Perfect Resident DJs free 9pm The Red Rattler, Marrickville Red Rattler’s 3rd Birthday Glory Hole, Adonis, Jayvante Swing and Kiki Coriander, Betty Grumble, FEVA, La Donna Rama, Seymour, MC Dickie and MC Dicky $10-$20 8pm Sandringham Hotel, Newtown Kade & The Karneez feat. DJ Skae, The Phonies, Anecdote, Deadbeat & Hazy, Common Grounds $10 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross My Studio Resident DJs 8pm Scruffy Murphy’s, Sydney Frisky Friday DJs free 6pm The Shark Hotel, Sydney Puls8 DJ Jono, Guest DJs free 9pm Sly Fox Hotel, Enmore Dandy Mag Launch Party Seabas, Floozy, Zwi, Cheap & Chic free 9pm Soho, Potts Point Soho Fridays DJs free 9pm Space, Sydney Zaia Resident DJs 9.45pm Spectrum, Sydney Twist and Shout 60s Dance Party Mr Chad, Dylabolical, Black Cherry DJs $5 9pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Contemporary Scarecrow (UK), Alley Oop, James Taylor 10pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Eve Fridays DJs 9pm The Watershed Hotel Watershed Presents… Ripples RnB Night DJs $15 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross MUM MUM DJs, 1929indian $10-$15 8pm

SATURDAY APRIL 28 195 Oxford St, Bondi Juntion Revival DJ Bilman MC, Ben Ashton, Farz, DJ Bravo, Ryan Simpson, MC Ozak $25 (+ bf) 9pm

The Argyle, The Rocks Hi-Fi Mike, We Got Soul DJs, Phil Hudson, Agey, Nick Andrews, Frankie Romano, Arrnott Olsen, Chris Bongoliro free 8pm Arq Sydney, Taylor Square Dance Dance Dance Jake Kilby, Jayson Forbes, Luke Leal, Jimmy Dee 9pm Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst Pickled Herring Likewise DJs, Franchi Bros free 9pm Candys Apartment, Kings Cross Ritual Teez, SMS, Crumb Da Bass, Guttermouth, Sohda, Night Riot 9pm Cargo Lounge, King St Wharf Kick On Saturdays Resident DJs free 6pm Caringbah Bizzo’s DJ Rock Solid 8pm Chinese Laundry, Sydney Derrick May (USA), Kraymer, Kato, A-Tonez, Murray Lake, King Lee, Def Tonez, Diskoriot $25-$39 7pm City Hotel, Sydney Kin.Ki Saturdays DJs 9pm Civic Underground, Sydney Clark (UK), Bon Chat, Bon Rat $30-$35 (+ bf) 9pm Cohibar, Darling Harbour Yellow Sox Matt Roberts, Anders Hitchcock free 9pm Dee Why Hotel Kiss & Fly Saturdays DJs 9pm E11even Nightclub, Paddington Turka Resident DJs $20 9pm Epping Hotel Back Traxx DJ Kandi, DJ Hypnotixx FBi Social @ Kings Cross Hotel Late Night Social aBillion, Frames, Ze free 11.59pm Flinders Hotel, Darlinhurst Horne Dogg free 8pm Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale .darkroom Vic Zee, Kate Doherty, Schaden Freude, Eric Thomas, Dalmiro, GBanga, Tall Timba, Martin Stace, QuZen, Simon P, Aidan James, DKline, Jacobite $10-$15 6pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Jackin Tom Drummond, Liam Sampras, Hannah Gibbs, 2 Phat Jackin DJs, Johnny Gleeson, Tom Kelly 6pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Booty City Joyride, Shantan Wantan Ichiban, Yelo Feva, Wendy Samantha, Pablo Calamari $5 11pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Chet Faker, Flume $12 (+ bf) 8pm sold out Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour Homemade Saturdays Brooke Evers $20-$25 9pm Home Nightclub Rooftop, Darling Harbour Dance Club Rooftop Party Moonchild, Franchi Brothers, Mattrad, Passions, Tom Brereton, Amy Fairweather, Ryan Stimpson, Ben Ashton, Danbaartz, Jedi Jay, Symphony Youth free 1pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Saturdays DJ Dolso 8pm Hunky Dory Social Club, Darlinghurst Ghetto Boogie DJs 6pm The Island, Sydney Harbour Never Mind The Balearics Numero Tres! Will Price, Pete Dot, Innerwestsoul, Tamas Jones, Danny Bass $50-$60 2pm the ivy, Sydney Pure Ivy Timmy Trumpet, Cadell, Sir Charles, Johnny Sommerville, Jono Fernandez, Rome & Kalcic, Recess $20 8.30pm The Ivy Courtyard, Sydney Krafty Kuts Garden Party Krafty Kuts (UK), Peo De Pitte (SWE), Royalston $40 (+ bf) 12pm Jacksons On George, Sydney DJ Simon Laing free 9pm

club guide

snap

up all night out all week...

Stil vor Talent Label Night Niko Schwind (DE), YokoO, Matt Weir $25 10pm The Standard, Darlinghurst Electric Empire, Ngaiire, DJ Huweston $20+bf 8pm Star Bar, Sydney Situation DJs 10pm The Sugar Mill, Kings Cross Rockin Retro Disco DJs free 6pm Trademark Hotel, Kings Cross Trademark Saturdays Resident DJs 9pm Tunnel Nightclub, Kings Cross ONE Saturdays Resident DJs $10-$20 10pm The Watershed Hotel Watershed Presents…

Skybar DJs $15 9pm The World Bar, Kings Cross Cakes Midnite Fleas, KATO, Adam Bozzetto $15–$20 8pm

SUNDAY APRIL 29 The Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway S.A.S.H. Sundays S.A.S.H. DJs $10 2pm Arq Sydney, Taylor Square Dirty Disco DJs 9pm The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills Beresford Sundays DJs free 5pm Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park Creamfields 2012 David Guetta (FRA), Above & Beyond (UK), Dirty South, Alesso, Excision, W&W, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Congorock, Vitalic (FRA),

Sied Van Riel, Tritonal, Downlink, ShockOne, MaRLo, Bombs Away, MC Stretch, Minx, Figure, Nick Thayer, Haters, Alison Wonderland, Doctor Werewolf, Glove Cats, Rubio, Filth Collins, A-Tonez, Fake Bratpack, Murat, Claire Morgan, Nukewood, Ember, DJ Gabby, Matt Ferreira, The Mane Thing, Swiss Dub, Go Freek, Katie Valentine, Tigerlily, Nathan Cryptic, Amber Savage, Thomas Knight vs Nick Arbor, DJ Ange, MC Losty $101.10– $137 12pm Goldfish, Kings Cross Martini Club, DJ Tom Kelly free 6pm Hugo’s Lounge, Kings Cross Sneaky Sundays Resident DJs 8pm Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Easy Sundays Resident DJs free 8pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Loose Ends Matt Vaughan, Vinyl Richie, MC Gaff-E $10 10pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross Sapphire Sundays DJ Sefru, Resident DJs 8pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney Spice After Hours Club Murat Kilic, Nic Scali $20 4am The Watershed Hotel Afternoon DJs DJ Brynstar free The World Bar, Kings Cross Dust Alley Oop, James Taylor free 7pm

halfway crooks

PICS :: AM

Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Resident DJs 8pm Luna Lounge Nightclub, Jacksons On George, Sydney DJ Michael Stewart free 9pm The Marlborough Hotel – Level 1, Newtown Resident DJs free 9pm Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club Mad Racket Tornado Wallace, Ken Cloud, Jimmi James, Zootie, Simon Caldwell $30 (+ bf) 10pm Nevada Lounge, Darlinghurst DJ Hayden free 6pm One22, Sydney The Box 4th Birthday Pig&Dan, Defined By Rhythm, Jay Smalls, Michael Doney, Michael Scholes $20$25 (+ bf) 9pm Phoenix Bar, Exchange Hotel, Darlinghurst Up Day Club Up Day Club DJs $15 5am The Red Rattler, Marrickville Gaylordz Discothéque – Animal Miracles Party Gaylordz DJs $10-$15 8pm Sapphire Lounge, Kings Cross The Suite Resident DJs 8pm The Shark Hotel, Sydney Puls8 DJ Jono, Guest DJs free 9pm The Sly Fox, Enmore Coochies King Lee, Ruby Slipper, Tom Yum 9pm Spectrum, Darlinghurst Kittens Purple Sneakers DJs, The Bright Young Things, Ginger & Drum, Louis London, The Khanz $10 8pm The Spice Cellar, Sydney

up all night out all week . . .

14:04:12 :: Spectrum:: 34-44 Oxford St Darlinghurst Sydney 9331 3100

club picks up all night out all week...

The Spice Cellar, Sydney ANZAC Day Eve Party Garth Linton, Robbie Lowe, Jaded & James Petrou, Robbie Cordukes & Jake Hough $20 10pm The World Bar, Kings Cross ANZAC Day Eve Party Black Diamond Hearts, Pablo Calamari, Soup Kitchen DJs, Conrad Greenleaf, Mike J, Beach Party $10 10pm

The Spice Cellar, Sydney Contemporary Scarecrow...? (UK), Alley Oop, James Taylor 10pm

SATURDAY APRIL 28 Civic Underground, Sydney Clark (UK), Bon Chat, Bon Rat $30-$35 (+ bf) 9pm Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club Mad Racket Tornado Wallace, Ken Cloud, Jimmi James, Zootie, Simon Caldwell $30 (+ bf) 10pm

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

The Spice Cellar, Sydney Stil vor Talent Label Night Niko Schwind (DE), YokoO, Matt Weir $25 10pm

The Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway Together Ben Korbel, Ken Cloud, Jimi Polar, Markojux (Melb – live), Volta, Jordan Deck, Trinity, Dave Stuart, Glitch DJs, Marcotix, Claire Morgan, Le Brond, Chris Honnery, Raffi Lovechild, Franchi Brothers $10 12pm

The Standard, Darlinghurst Electric Empire, Ngaiire, DJ Huweston $20+bf 8pm

the ivy, Sydney Roger Sanchez (USA), The Aston Shuffle DJs $45-$55 (+ bf) 2pm

SUNDAY APRIL 29

THURSDAY APRIL 26 The World Bar, Kings Cross Propaganda Urby, Nickels N Dimes free$5 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 27 Chinese Laundry, Sydney Karton, Glove Cats, Victims, J Beetz, Axe Soydas, Typhonic, EMBI $15–$20 10pm GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Slow Blow Family Reunion DJ Jungle

jerome isma-ae

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GoodGod Small Club, Sydney Nick Catchdubs (NYC), Levins, Nina Las Vegas, Jimmy Sing $12 (+ bf) 10pm

Snake, DJ Dreamcatcher, Pink Lloyd & Chester Castle $10 11pm

14:04:12 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 82959958

The World Bar, Kings Cross Cakes Midnite Fleas, KATO, Adam Bozzetto $15–$20 8pm

Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park Creamfields 2012 David Guetta (FRA), Above & Beyond (UK), Dirty South, Alesso, Excision, W&W, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Congorock, Vitalic (FRA), Sied Van Riel, Tritonal, Downlink, ShockOne, MaRLo, Bombs Away, MC Stretch, Minx, Figure, Nick Thayer, Haters, Alison Wonderland, Doctor Werewolf, Glove Cats, Rubio, Filth Collins, A-Tonez, Fake Bratpack, Murat, Claire Morgan, Nukewood, Ember, DJ Gabby, Matt Ferreira, The Mane Thing, Swiss Dub, Go Freek, Katie Valentine, Tigerlily, Nathan Cryptic, Amber Savage, Thomas Knight vs Nick Arbor, DJ Ange, MC Losty $101.10–$137 12pm

angus gruzman

PICS :: TL

TUESDAY APRIL 24

14:04:12 :: GoodGod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: RASA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA :: MUN IEL DAN :: MAR LEY ASH S :: JUSKEVICIUTE :: SAM GEORGE TIM WHITNEY

BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 47

snap up all night out all week . . .

propaganda

PICS :: SG

party profile

anzac day eve party

It’s called: ANZAC Day Eve Party It sounds like: Live bands and indie, house and tech, reggae and dancehall, and chart and urban – across four floors of mayhem.

Who’s playing? Black Diamond Hearts (the band backing Slash on his recent secret gig in Sydney) and copious amou nts of DJs. Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Depe nds on the room of your choice!

And one you definitely won’t: ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas’… because it’s not. Sheesh.

Sell it to us: One venue, four rooms, four genre s hydrate yourself, four dancefloors to leave your of music, five bars to dignity on and one sweet, sweet ANZAC day to deal with one hell of a hangover.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Using your sweet air guitar skills to impress the ladies with… or men!

Crowd specs: Every freaking person who knows how to party hard except Andrew W.K. Wallet damage: $10 (after 10pm) Where: The World Bar / 24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross When: Tuesday April 24

kali

PICS ::RJ

12:04:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

the exchange hotel

PICS :: TL

13:04:12 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney

nick skitz

PICS :: TW

13:03:12 :: The Exchange Hotel :: 34-44 Oxford st Darlinghurst Sydney 9331 3100

:: KATRINA CLARKE :: RASA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA :: MUN IEL S :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAN JUSKEVICIUTE :: SAM GEORGE TIM WHITNEY

48 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

strike

PICS :: AM

12:04:12 :: The Australian Brewery :: 350 Annangrove Rd Rouse Hill 9679 4555

13:04:12 :: Strike Bowling :: King St Wharf Darling Harbour

Do you use Ecstasy?

Researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre would like to speak to ecstasy users. Face to face interviews will be conducted between April and May. The interview takes around one hour and is held at a convenient location for you. Interviews are anonymous and confidential. You will be reimbursed $40 for your time.

Contact Laura on (02) 9385 0407, email nswedrs@unsw.edu.au or SMS details to 0404 786 677 (you do not have to use your real name).

BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12 :: 49

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goodgod

PICS :: RJ

the spice cellar

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

13:04:12 :: GoodGod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Sydney 92673787

mum

PICS :: DM

14:04:12 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney

surecut kids

PICS :: AM

13:04:12 :: World Bar :: 24 Bayswater Rd Kings Cross 93577700

13:04:12 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 82959958

14:04:12 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 :: KATRINA CLARKE :: RASA S : TIM LEVY (HEAD HONCHO) OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER NS :: ROSETTE ROUHANNA :: MUN IEL S :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAN JUSKEVICIUTE :: SAM GEORGE TIM WHITNEY

50 :: BRAG :: 459 :: 23:04:12

party profile

cosmic gate

PICS :: TL

nick catchdubs (USA) It’s called: Anzac Day Eve Party feat. Nick Catch dubs (NYC/Fool’s Gold) It sounds like: A hefty brew of up-front club sound s from all around the world, rare dancefloor gems, and forgotten hits from the vault mixed by one of the best DJs in the world!

Who’s spinning? Nick Catchdubs (NYC/Fool’s Gold), Nina Las Vegas, Levins, Jimmy Sing.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Danny Brown – ‘Die Like a Rockstar (Catchdubs Remix)’; Luniz – ‘I Got 5 On It’; Mach inedrum – ‘SXLND’.

And one you definitely won’t: The MasterChef theme song.

Sell it to us: It’s a GoodGod public holiday eve shake down headlined by our good friend Nick Catchdubs, all the way from eclectic collection of records Down Under to NYC! Nick’s bringing his crazy take us to another level of public holiday sillyness.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Nostalgic traces of last night’s euphoria to ease your hangover.

Crowd specs: Party animals... Party humans too.

Wallet damage: $15 on the door Where: GoodGod Small Club / 55 Liverpool St, Chinatown When: Tuesday April 24

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DEL! O M W NE

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RP! 25% OFF R

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